The databases for solidbreeder ceramics (Li{sub 2},O, Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}, Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3} and LiAlO{sub 2}) and beryllium multiplier material are critically reviewed and evaluated. Emphasis is placed on physical, thermal, mechanical, chemical stability/compatibility, tritium, and radiation stability properties which are needed to assess the performance of these materials in a fusion reactor environment. Correlations are selected for design analysis and compared to the database. Areas for future research and development in blanket materials technology are highlighted and prioritized.

Highlights: • A helium cooled solid blanket was proposed as a candidate blanketconcept for CFETR. • Material selection, basic structure and gas flow scheme of the blanket were introduced. • A series of performance analyses for the blanket were summarized. - Abstract: To bridge the gap between ITER and DEMO and to realize the fusion energy in China, a fusion device Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) was proposed and is being designed mainly to demonstrate 50–200 MW fusion power, 30–50% duty time factor, tritium self-sustained. Because of the high demand of tritium production and the realistic engineering consideration, the design of tritium breeding blanket for CFETR is a challenging work and getting special attention. As a blanket candidate, a helium cooled solidbreederblanket has been designed with the emphasis on conservative design and realistic blanket technology. This paper introduces the basic blanket scheme, including the material selection, structural design, cooling scheme and purge gas flow path. In addition, some results of neutronics, thermal-hydraulic and stress analysis are presented.

This paper reports the design and safety analysis results of the helium cooled solidbreederblanket of the Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). Materials selection and basic structure of the blanket have been presented. Performance analysis including neutronics analysis and thermo-mechanical analysis has shown good results. And the safety analysis of the blanket under Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA) conditions has been described. Results showed the current design can deal well with the selected accident scenarios.

Highlights: • A helium cooled solidbreederblanket module was designed for CFETR. • Multilayer U-shaped pebble beds were adopted in the blanket module. • Thermal and thermo-mechanical analyses were carried out under normal operating conditions. • The analysis results were found to be acceptable. - Abstract: With the aim to bridge the R&D gap between ITER and fusion power plant, the Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) was proposed to be built in China. The mission of CFETR is to address the essential R&D issues for achieving practical fusion energy. Its blanket is required to be tritium self-sufficient. In this paper, a helium cooled solidbreederblanket adopting multilayer U-shaped pebble beds was designed and analyzed. Thermo-mechanical analysis of the first wall and side wall combined with breeder unit was carried out for normal operating steady state conditions. The results showed that the maximum temperatures of the structural material, neutron multiplier and tritium breeder pebble beds are 523 °C, 558 °C and 787 °C, respectively, which are below the corresponding limits of 550 °C, 650 °C and 920 °C. The maximum equivalent stress of the structure is under the allowable value with a margin about 14.5%.

Reactor system operation and procedures have a profound impact on the conception and design of power plants. These issues are studied here using a model tokamak system employing a solid-breederblanket. The model blanket is one which has evolved from the STARFIRE and BCSS studies. The reactor parameters are similar to those characterizing near-term fusion engineering reactors such as INTOR or NET (Next European Tokamak). Plasma startup, burn analysis, and methods for operation at various levels of output power are studied. A critical, and complicating, element is found to be the self-consistent electromagnetic response of the system, including the presence of the blanket and the resulting forces and loadings. Fractional power operation, and the strategy for burn control, is found to vary depending on the scaling law for energy confinement, and an extensive study is reported. Full-power reactor operation is at a neutron wall loading pf 5 MW/m/sup 2/ and a surface heat flux of 1 MW/m/sup 2/. The blanket is a pressurized steel module with bare beryllium rods and low-activation HT-9-(9-C-) clad LiAlO/sub 2/ rods. The helium coolant pressure is 5 MPa, entering the module at 297/sup 0/C and exiting at 550/sup 0/C. The system power output is rated at 1000 MW(e). In this report, we present our findings on various operational scenarios and their impact on system design. We first start with the salient aspects of operational physics. Time-dependent analyses of the blanket and balance of plant are then presented. Separate abstracts are included for each chapter.

This paper presents the significant progress made in the research and development (R&D) of key technologies on the water-cooled solidbreederblanket for the ITER test blanket modules in JAERI. Development of module fabrication technology, bonding technology of armours, measurement of thermo-mechanical properties of pebble beds, neutronics studies on a blanket module mockup and tritium release behaviour from a Li2TiO3 pebble bed under neutron-pulsed operation conditions are summarized. With the improvement of the heat treatment process for blanket module fabrication, a fine-grained microstructure of F82H can be obtained by homogenizing it at 1150 °C followed by normalizing it at 930 °C after the hot isostatic pressing process. Moreover, a promising bonding process for a tungsten armour and an F82H structural material was developed using a solid-state bonding method based on uniaxial hot compression without any artificial compliant layer. As a result of high heat flux tests of F82H first wall mockups, it has been confirmed that a fatigue lifetime correlation, which was developed for the ITER divertor, can be made applicable for the F82H first wall mockup. As for R&D on the breeder material, Li2TiO3, the effect of compression loads on effective thermal conductivity of pebble beds has been clarified for the Li2TiO3 pebble bed. The tritium breeding ratio of a simulated multi-layer blanket structure has successfully been measured using 14 MeV neutrons with an accuracy of 10%. The tritium release rate from the Li2TiO3 pebble has also been successfully measured with pulsed neutron irradiation, which simulates ITER operation.

Under the US Fusion Nuclear Science and Technology Development program, we have selected the Dual Coolant Lead Lithium concept (DCLL) as a reference blanket, which has the potential to be a high performance DEMO blanket design with a projected thermal efficiency of >40%. Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAF/M) steel is used as the structural material. The self-cooled breeder PbLi is circulated for power conversion and for tritium breeding. A SiC-based flow channel insert (FCI) is used as a means for magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop reduction from the circulating liquid PbLi and as a thermal insulator to separate the high-temperature PbLi (~700°C) from the helium-cooled RAF/M steel structure. We are making progress on related R&D needs to address critical Fusion Nuclear Science and Facility (FNSF) and DEMO blanket development issues. When performing the function as the Interface Coordinator for the DCLL blanketconcept, we had been developing the mechanical design and performing neutronics, structural and thermal hydraulics analyses of the DCLL TBM module. We had estimated the necessary ancillary equipment that will be needed at the ITER site and a detailed safety impact report has been prepared. This provided additional understanding of the DCLL blanketconcept in preparation for the FNSF and DEMO. This paper will be a summary report on the progress of the DCLL TBM design and R&Ds for the DCLL blanketconcept.

Three solid-breeder water-cooled blanketconcepts have been developed for ITER based on a multilayer configuration. The primary difference among the concepts is in the fabricated form of breeder and multiplier. All the concepts have beryllium for neutron multiplication and solid-breeder temperature control. The blanket design does not use helium gaps or insulator material to control the solidbreeder temperature. Lithium oxide (Li{sub 2}O) and lithium zirconate (Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3}) are the primary and the backup breeder materials, respectively. The lithium-6 enrichment is 95%. The use of high lithium-6 enrichment reduces the solidbreeder volume required in the blanket and consequently the total tritium inventory in the solidbreeder material. Also, it increases the blanket capability to accommodate power variation. The multilayer blanket configuration can accommodate up to a factor of two change in the neutron wall loading without violating the different design guidelines. The blanket material forms are sintered products and packed bed of small pebbles. The first concept has a sintered product material (blocks) for both the beryllium multiplier and the solidbreeder. The second concept, the common ITER blanket, uses a packed bed breeder and beryllium blocks. The last concept is similar to the first except for the first and the last beryllium zones. Two small layers of beryllium pebbles are located behind the first wall and the back of the last beryllium zone to reduce the total inventory of the beryllium material and to improve the blanket performance. The design philosophy adopted for the blanket is to produce the necessary tritium required for the ITER operation and to operate at power reactor conditions as much as possible. Also, the reliability and the safety aspects of the blanket are enhanced by using low-pressure water coolant and the separation of the tritium purge flow from the coolant system by several barriers.

Based on the new design of China 2x6 helium cooled solidbreeder (CH-HCSB) test blanket module (TBM), three-dimensional activation calculation analysis was performed by using the Monte Carlo particle transport code MCNP and European activation code FISPACT. The results show that, at the beginning moment after shutdown, the total activity is 1.78×1016Bq, and the total afterheat is 3.01kW. They are both dominated by the structural material CLF-1. Meanwhile, the dominant radioactivity nuclides and reaction pathways have been identified. The results will provide useful indications for materials selection and further optimization design of the TBM. On basis of the calculated contact dose rate, the activated materials can be reused with the remote handling recycling options. That is effective for preventing from the radiation environmental hazard.%基于中国氦冷固态实验包层模块(CH-HCSB-TBM)的新设计方案,采用蒙特卡罗粒子输运程序MCNP和欧洲活化计算程序FISPACT,对CH-HCSB-TBM进行了三维活化计算分析.计算结果表明,停堆初期TBM总的放射性活度、衰变余热分别为1.78× 1016Bq和3.01kW,主要受结构材料CLF-1影响.同时给出了影响TBM材料活化特性的主要核素及其生成途径,为TBM设计的材料选取和优化提供依据.根据计算的停堆剂量率可知,TBM中的活化材料都能采取远程操作实现再循环利用,可有效防止放射性环境危害问题.

The irradiation effects in solidbreeder materials are important for the performance assessment of fusion reactor blanket systems. For a clearer understanding of such effects, we have studied the production behavior of irradiation defects in some lithium ceramics by an in-situ luminescence measurement technique under ion beam irradiation. The luminescence spectra were measured at different temperatures, and the temperature-transient behaviors of luminescence intensity were also measured. The production mechanisms of irradiation defects were discussed on the basis of the observations. (author)

The authors have made a tritium release model to represent the release behavior of bred tritium from solidbreeder materials using a series of studies. It has been observed that a large amount of adsorbed water and water produced by water formation reaction are released to the purge gas even though dry purge gas with hydrogen is introduced to solidbreeder materials. According to our tritium release model, the presence of water in the purge gas and surface water on the material has a large effect on the tritium release behavior. In this study, the authors quantified the amount of adsorbed water and the capacity of the water formation reaction for various solidbreeder materials (Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}, Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}, Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3}, LiAlO{sub 2}). The effect of surface water on the chemical form of tritium released from the LiAlO{sub 2} blanket is also discussed in this study. (authors)

A review of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) minimum activity graphite blanket designs is made. Three designs are identified and discussed in the context of an experimental power reactor (EPR) and commercial power reactor. Basically, the three designs employ a thick graphite screen (typically 30 cm or greater, depending on type as well as application-experimental power reactor or commercial reactor). Bremsstrahlung energy is deposited on the graphite surface and re-radiated away as thermal radiation. Fast neutrons are slowed down in the graphite, depositing most of their energy. This energy is then either radiated to a secondary blanket with coolant tubes, as in types A and B, or is removed by intermittent direct gas cooling (type C). In types A and B, radiation damage to the structural material of the coolant tubes in the secondary blanket is reduced by one or two orders of magnitude by the graphite screen, while in type C, the blanket is only cooled when the reactor is shut down, so that coolant cannot quench the plasma, whatever the degree of radiation damage.

The paper describes the progress of the studies on first wall and liquid breeder blankets for tritium production in the Next European Torus (NET). Two concepts of first wall/blanket segments are described, using 17Li83Pb as breeder and water as coolant. In both concepts the first wall is integrated in a steel box enveloping the breeder units which are cylindrical vessels with an inside heat transfer system. The thermomechanical and neutronics features of the two concepts are evaluated. Finally, the questions related to tritium permeation into coolant and tritium recovery from breeder are discussed on the basis of the analysis in progress in Europe.

Highlights: • Short description of the new Breeding Blanket Project in the EUROfusion consortium for the design of the EU PPPT DEMO: objectives. • Presentation of the design approach used in the development of the Breeding Blanket design: requirements. • Breeding Blanket design; in particular the four blanketconcepts included in the study are presented, recent results highlighted and the status discussed. • Auxiliary systems and related R&D programme: in particular the work areas addressed in the Project (Tritium Technology, Pb-Li and SolidBreeders Technology, First Wall Design and R&D, Manufacturing) are presented, recent results highlighted and the status discussed. - Abstract: The design of a DEMO reactor requires the design of a blanket system suitable of reliable T production and heat extraction for electricity production. In the frame of the EUROfusion Consortium activities, the Breeding Blanket Project has been constituted in 2014 with the goal to develop concepts of Breeding Blankets for the EU PPPT DEMO; this includes an integrated design and R&D programme with the goal to select after 2020 concepts on fusion plants for the engineering phase. The design activities are presently focalized around a pool of solid and liquid breeder blanket with helium, water and PbLi cooling. Development of tritium extraction and control technology, as well manufacturing and development of solid and PbLi breeders are part of the programme.

Highlights: • RAMI (reliability, availability, maintainability and inspectability) preliminary assessment for HCPB blanketconcept cooling system. • Reliability block diagram (RBD) modeling and analysis for HCPB primary heat transfer system (PHTS), coolant purification system (CPS), pressure control system (PCS), and secondary cooling system. • Sensitivity analysis on system availability performance. • Failure models and repair models estimated on the base of data from the ENEA fusion component failure rate database (FCFRDB). - Abstract: A preliminary RAMI (reliability, availability, maintainability and inspectability) assessment for the HCPB (helium cooled pebble bed) blanket cooling system based on currently available design for DEMO fusion power plant is presented. The following sub-systems were considered in the analysis: blanket modules, primary cooling loop including pipework and steam generators lines, pressure control system (PCS), coolant purification system (CPS) and secondary cooling system. For PCS and CPS systems an extrapolation from ITER Test Blanket Module corresponding systems was used as reference design in the analysis. Helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) system reliability block diagrams (RBD) models were implemented taking into account: system reliability-wise configuration, operating schedule currently foreseen for DEMO, maintenance schedule and plant evolution schedule as well as failure and corrective maintenance models. A simulation of plant activity was then performed on implemented RBDs to estimate plant availability performance on a mission time of 30 calendar years. The resulting availability performance was finally compared to availability goals previously proposed for DEMO plant by a panel of experts. The study suggests that inherent availability goals proposed for DEMO PHTS system and Tokamak auxiliaries are potentially achievable for the primary loop of the HCPB concept cooling system, but not for the secondary loop. A

A tritium release model has been developed by the present authors. The tritium release curves estimated by this tritium model give good agreement with experimental curves for Li {sub 4}SiO{sub 4}, Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}, Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3} or LiAlO{sub 2} under various purge gas conditions in our out-of-pile bred tritium release. The characteristics of tritium release behavior from various solidbreeder materials carried out by us and in EXOTIC experiments at Petten are discussed in this study. (authors)

Ideally, the ITER base blanket would provide the necessary tritium for the reactor to be self-sufficient during operation, while having minimal impact on the overall reactor cost, reliability and safety. A solidbreederblanket has been developed in CDA phase in an attempt to achieve such objectives. The reference solidbreeder base blanket configurations at the end of the CDA phase has many attractive features such as a tritium breeding ratio (TBR) of 0.8--0.9 and a reasonably low tritium inventory. However, some concerns regarding the risk, cost and benefit of the base blanket have been raised. These include uncertainties associated with the solidbreeder thermal control and the potentially high cost of the amount of Be used to achieve high TBR and to provide the necessary thermal barrier between the high temperature solidbreeder and low temperature coolant. This work addresses these concerns. The basis for the selection of a breeding blanket is first discussed in light of the incremental risk, cost and benefits relative to a non-breeding blanket. Key issues associated with the CDA breeding blanket configurations are then analyzed. Finally, alternative schemes that could enhance the attractiveness and flexibility of a breeding blanket are explored.

Ideally, the ITER base blanket would provide the necessary tritium for the reactor to be self-sufficient during operation, while having minimal impact on the overall reactor cost, reliability and safety. A solidbreederblanket has been developed in CDA phase in an attempt to achieve such objectives. The reference solidbreeder base blanket configurations at the end of the CDA phase has many attractive features such as a tritium breeding ratio (TBR) of 0.8--0.9 and a reasonably low tritium inventory. However, some concerns regarding the risk, cost and benefit of the base blanket have been raised. These include uncertainties associated with the solidbreeder thermal control and the potentially high cost of the amount of Be used to achieve high TBR and to provide the necessary thermal barrier between the high temperature solidbreeder and low temperature coolant. This work addresses these concerns. The basis for the selection of a breeding blanket is first discussed in light of the incremental risk, cost and benefits relative to a non-breeding blanket. Key issues associated with the CDA breeding blanket configurations are then analyzed. Finally, alternative schemes that could enhance the attractiveness and flexibility of a breeding blanket are explored.

Highlights: • Realistic 3D MCNP model based on the CAD engineering model of DEMO. • Automated procedure for the generation and arrangement of the blanket modules for different DEMO concepts: HCPB, HCLL, WCLL, DCLL. • Several parameters affecting tritium breeding ratio (TBR) were investigated. • A set of practical guidelines was prepared for the designers developing the individual breeding blanketconcepts. - Abstract: Neutronic analyses were performed to assess systematically the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) variations in the DEMO for the different blanketconcepts HCPB, HCLL, WCLL and DCLL DEMOs due to modifications of the blanket configurations. A dedicated automated procedure was developed to fill the breeding modules in the common generic model in correspondence to the different concepts. The TBR calculations were carried out using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo code. The following parameters affecting the global TBR were investigated: TBR poloidal distribution, radial breeder zone depth, {sup 6}Li enrichment, steel content in the breeder modules, poloidal segmentation of the breeder blanket volume, size of gaps between blankets, thickness of the first wall and of the tungsten armour. Based on the results a set of practical guidelines was prepared for the designers developing the individual breeding blanketconcepts with the goal to achieve the required tritium breeding performance in DEMO.

The cassette blanket introduces four major improvements in fusion reactor blanket design. These are: (1) the cassette itself which by design furnishes the key unit for simplification of blanket replacement and maintenance and also isolates the lithium moderator from the plasma by enveloping it in the coolant; (2) the concept of blanket zoning, which uses to advantage the fact that radiation damage to structure decreases exponentially with distance. With the use of cassettes in series, only the front fraction of the blanket, the first cassette, need be changed due to damage over the life of the plant; (3) the rectangular blanketconcept, which recognizes that blankets must envelop the plasma but need not conform to plasma shape. With this rectangular geometry, cassettes may be installed or removed by simple linear motion between magnet coils; (4) internal tritium recovery, which uses a favorable temperature gradient and ''MHD-frozen'' lithium to diffuse tritium out of the cassette. Supporting calculations and illustrative cases are provided for these four areas using two coolants: helium and HITEC, a eutectic mixture of inorganic salts (potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite).

Highlights: • Challenges are identified for the remote handling of blanket segments’ attachments. • Two attachment design approaches are assessed for remote handling (RH) feasibility. • An alternative is proposed, which potentially simplifies and speeds-up RH operations. • Up to three different assemblies are proposed for the remote handling of the attachments. • Proposed integrated design of upper port is compatible with the attachment systems. - Abstract: The replacement strategy of the massive Multi-Module Blanket Segments (MMS) is a key driver in the design of several DEMO systems. These include the blankets themselves, the vacuum vessel (VV) and its ports and the Remote Maintenance System (RMS). Common challenges to any blanket attachment system have been identified, such as the need for applying a preload to the MMS manifold, the effects of the decay heat and several uncertainties related to permanent deformations when removing the blanket segments after service. The WP12 kinematics of the MMS in-vessel transportation was adapted to the requirements of each of the supports during 2013 and 2014 design activities. The RM equipment envisaged for handling attachments and earth connections may be composed of up to three different assemblies. An In-Vessel Mover at the divertor level handles the lower support and earth bonding, and could stabilize the MMS during transportation. A Shield Plug crane with a 6 DoF manipulator operates the upper attachment and earth straps. And a Vertical Maintenance Crane is responsible for the in-vessel MMS transportation and can handle the removable upper support pins. A final proposal is presented which can potentially reduce the number of required systems, at the same time that speeds-up the RMS global operations.

New design approaches are proposed for the LHD-type heliotron D-T demo-reactor FFHR2 to solve the key engineering issues of blanket space limitation and replacement difficulty. A major radius of over 14 m is selected to permit a blanket-shield thickness of about 1 m and to reduce the neutron wall loading and toroidal field, while achieving an acceptable cost of electricity. Two sets of optimization are successfully carried out. One is to reduce the magnetic hoop force on the helical coil support structures by adjustment of the helical winding coil pitch parameter and the poloidal coils design, which facilitates expansion of the maintenance ports. The other is a long-life blanketconcept using carbon armour tiles that soften the neutron energy spectrum incident on the self-cooled flibe-reduced activation ferritic steel blanket. In this adaptation of the spectral-shifter and tritium breeder blanket (STB) concept a local tritium breeding ratio over 1.2 is feasible by optimized arrangement of the neutron multiplier Be in the carbon tiles, and the radiation shielding of the superconducting magnet coils is also significantly improved. Using constant cross sections of a helically winding shape, the 'screw coaster' concept is proposed to replace in-vessel components such as the STB armour tiles. The key R&D issues for developing the STB concept, such as radiation effects on carbon and enhanced heat transfer of Flibe, are elucidated.

The breeding blanket is a key component of the fusion reactor because it directly involves tritium breeding and energy extraction, both of which are critical to development of fusion power. The lithium ceramics continue to show promise as candidate breeder materials. This promise was recognized by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) design team in its selection of ceramics as the first option for the ITER breeder material. Blanket design studies have indicated properties in the candidate materials data base that need further investigation. Current studies are focusing on tritium release behavior at high burnup, changes in thermophysical properties with burnup, compatibility between the ceramic breeder and beryllium multiplier, and phase changes with burnup. Laboratory and in-reactor tests, some as part of an international collaboration for development of ceramic breeder materials, are underway. 133 refs., 1 fig.

The study focused on: (1) Development of reference design guidelines, evaluation criteria, and a methodology for evaluating and ranking candidate blanketconcepts. (2) Compilation of the required data base and development of a uniform systems analysis for comparison. (3) Development of conceptual designs for the comparative evaluation. (4) Evaluation of leading concepts for engineering feasibility, economic performance, and safety. (5) Identification and prioritization of R and D requirements for the leading blanketconcepts. Sixteen concepts (nine TMR and seven tokamak) which were identified as leading candidates in the early phases of the study, were evaluated in detail. The overall evaluation concluded that the following concepts should provide the focus for the blanket R and D program: (Breeder/Coolant/Structure), Lithium/Lithium/Vanadium Alloy, Li/sub 2/O/Helium/Ferritic Steel, LiPb Alloy/LiPb Alloy/Vanadium Alloy, and Lithium/Helium/Ferritic Steel. The primary R and D issues for the Li/Li/V concept are the development of an advanced structural alloy, resolution of MHD and corrosion problems, provision for an inert atmosphere (e.g., N/sub 2/) in the reactor building, and the development of non-water cooled near-plasma components, particularly for the tokamak. The main issues for the LiPb/LiPb/V concept are similar to the Li/Li/V blanket with the addition of resolving the tritium recovery issue. The R and D issues for Li/sub 2/O/He/FS concept include resolution of the tritium recovery/containment issue, achieving adequate tritium breeding and resolving other solidbreeder issues such as swelling and fabrication concerns. Major concerns for the Li/He/FS concept are related to its rather poor economic performance. Improvement of its economic performance will be somewhat concept-dependent and will be more of a systems engineering issue.

The study focused on: (1) Development of reference design guidelines, evaluation criteria, and a methodology for evaluating and ranking candidate blanketconcepts. (2) Compilation of the required data base and development of a uniform systems analysis for comparison. (3) Development of conceptual designs for the comparative evaluation. (4) Evaluation of leading concepts for engineering feasibility, economic performance, and safety. (5) Identification and prioritization of R and D requirements for the leading blanketconcepts. Sixteen concepts (nine TMR and seven tokamak) which were identified as leading candidates in the early phases of the study, were evaluated in detail. The overall evaluation concluded that the following concepts should provide the focus for the blanket R and D program: (Breeder/Coolant/Structure), Lithium/Lithium/Vanadium Alloy, Li/sub 2/O/Helium/Ferritic Steel, LiPb Alloy/LiPb Alloy/Vanadium Alloy, and Lithium/Helium/Ferritic Steel. The primary R and D issues for the Li/Li/V concept are the development of an advanced structural alloy, resolution of MHD and corrosion problems, provision for an inert atmosphere (e.g., N/sub 2/) in the reactor building, and the development of non-water cooled near-plasma components, particularly for the tokamak. The main issues for the LiPb/LiPb/V concept are similar to the Li/Li/V blanket with the addition of resolving the tritium recovery issue. The R and D issues for Li/sub 2/O/He/FS concept include resolution of the tritium recovery/containment issue, achieving adequate tritium breeding and resolving other solidbreeder issues such as swelling and fabrication concerns. Major concerns for the Li/He/FS concepts are related to its rather poor economic performance. Improvement of its economic performance will be somewhat concept-dependent and will be more of a systems engineering issue.

The study focused on: (1) Development of reference design guidelines, evaluation criteria, and a methodology for evaluating and ranking candidate blanketconcepts. (2) Compilation of the required data base and development of a uniform systems analysis for comparison. (3) Development of conceptual designs for the comparative evaluation. (4) Evaluation of leading concepts for engineering feasibility, economic performance, and safety. (5) Identification and prioritization of R and D requirements for the leading blanketconcepts. Sixteen concepts (nine TMR and seven tokamak) which were identified as leading candidates in the early phases of the study, were evaluated in detail. The overall evaluation concluded that the following concepts should provide the focus for the blanket R and D program: (Breeder/Coolant/Structure), Lithium/Lithium/Vanadium Alloy, Li/sub 2/O/Helium/Ferritic Steel, LiPb Alloy/LiPb Alloy/Vanadium Alloy, and Lithium/Helium/Ferritic Steel. The primary R and D issues for the Li/Li/V concept are the development of an advanced structural alloy, resolution of MHD and corrosion problems, provision for an inert atmosphere (e.g., N/sub 2/) in the reactor building, and the development of non-water cooled near-plasma components, particularly for the tokamak. The main issues for the LiPb/LiPb/V concepts are similar to the Li/Li/V blanket with the addition of resolving the tritium recovery issue. The R and D issues for Li/sub 2/O/He/FS concept include resolution of the tritium recovery/containment issue, achieving adequate tritium breeding and resolving other solidbreeder issues such as swelling and fabrication concerns. Major concerns for the Li/He/FS concept are related to its rather poor economic performance. Improvement of its economic performance will be somewhat concept-dependent and will be more of a systems engineering issue.

A preconceptual engineering design has been developed for the {sup 3}He Target/Blanket (T/B) System for the Accelerator Production of Tritium Project. This concept uses an array of pressure tubes containing tungsten rods for the neutron spallation source and {sup 3}He gas contained in a metal tank and blanket tubes as the tritium production material. The engineering design is based on a physics model optimized for efficient tritium production. Principle engineering consideration were: provisions for cooling all materials including the {sup 3}He gas; containment of the gas and radionuclides; remote handling; material compatibility; minimization of {sup 3}He, D{sub 2}O, and activated waste; modularity; and manufacturability. The design provides a basis for estimating the cost to implement the system.

Highlights: • This paper presents transient CFD analyses on the cooling channels of the DEMO HCPB FW for accidental scenarios LOCA and LOFA. • In both LOCA & LOFA, the wall temperature increases quickly to an unacceptable level within seconds. • If the coolant flow rate is maintained at a half of nominal value in case of LOFA (partial LOFA), the wall temperature rises much slower, but will still leads to a damage of structure within minutes. • The simulated heat transfer coefficients were compared with empirical correlations. - Abstract: Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) blanketconcept is one of the DEMO (Demonstration Power Plant) blanketconcepts running for the final DEMO design selection. In this paper, transient analyses on the cooling channels of the FW are carried out by means of CFD simulations for the selected accidental scenarios loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) and loss-of-flow-accident (LOFA). ANSYS-CFX is used for the simulations. The simulation results help to understand how fast the temperature of the FW can increase and what is the time window that is available until the temperature of the structural material reaches the design limit in order to be able to define a suitable protection strategy for the system. In view of later developments of the models, the heat transfer coefficients calculated with CFD are compared with the values predicted by two widely used correlations for turbulent pipe flows.

This paper presents the main design features, their rationale, and the main critical issues for the development, of the four DEMO-relevant blanketconcepts presently being investigated within the framework of the European Test-Blanket Development Programme. (orig.)

This paper presents the main design features, their rationale, and the main critical issues for the development, of the four DEMO-relevant blanketconcepts presently investigated within the framework of the European Test-Blanket Development Programme.

A blanketconcept with eutectic Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/ as liquid breeder, suited for tritium production in an experimental Tokamak power reactor is outlined and discussed. This design has been developed to satisfy the INTOR-Phase-I specifications, in particular: (I) modular arrangement of the blanket units inside the vacuum vessel; (II) no use of the heat deposited for electricity production, (III) a net tritium breeding of a least 60%. In this article the main results of the neutronics and thermohydraulics analysis are reviewed and the problems identified. Methods to keep liquid in the breeder during operation are proposed and discussed. The consequences of a coolant tube rupture in a breeder unit appears to be the most serious problem.

Performances required: prospect to be adopted in DEMO. Shielding for V.V. and TFC in ITER. Design principles: the peak temperature and stress should not exceed technical limits. The structure of test blanket modules (TBM) should be simple for easy fabrication, and TBM should be robust for reliability.

This paper is concerned with the design of a boiling water reactor (BWR) equilibrium core using thorium as a nuclear material in an integrated blanket-seed (BS) assembly. The integrated BS concept comes from the fact that the blanket and the seed rods are located in the same assembly, and are burned out in a once-through cycle. The idea behind the lattice design is to use the thorium conversion capability in a BWR spectrum, taking advantage of the {sup 233}U build-up. A core design was developed to achieve an equilibrium cycle of 365 effective full power days in a standard BWR with a reload of 104 fuel assemblies designed with an average {sup 235}U enrichment of 7.5 w/o in the seed sub-lattice. The main operating parameters, like power, linear heat generation rate and void distributions were obtained as well as the shutdown margin. It was observed that the analyzed parameters behave like those obtained in a standard BWR. The shutdown margin design criterion was fulfilled by addition of a burnable poison region in the fuel assembly.

A review of the breeding blankets under study in Europe for testing in the Next European Torus is presented. In many concepts, the breeder modules are enclosed in boxes whose side walls in front of the plasma act as the first wall of the machine. Various types of breeder modules are investigated, involving both liquid and solidbreeders, namely: - Pb-17Li liquid breeder concepts, the coolant being either water or Pb-17Li itself; - solid (ceramic) breeder concepts, the coolant being in all cases helium. The various ceramic concepts differ in the breeder/coolant arrangement (breeder-out-of-tube and breeder-in-tube), the orientation of the coolant tubes (poloidal or toroidal) and the breeder geometry (rods, plates or pebble bed). For each of these concepts the main design features are shown and the thermomechanical problems are discussed. The problems related to a coolant tube rupture are in many cases the most severe from the structural design point of view. The first wall box enclosing the breeder modules appears to be a weak secondary containment barrier. The liquid breeder-water cooled concept looks manageable from the thermal and structural design of point view. In the case of the self-cooled liquid breeder concept, the main problems are related to the magnetohydrodynamic effects. Solutions are envisaged to overcome these difficulties. In the case of ceramic breeders, the use of plates implies small dimensions in order to limit the thermal stresses and a poor exploitation of the permitted temperature operation window. Solutions involving rods associated with a multipass cooling scheme or pebble bed enable achievement of better thermomechanical conditions and, therefore, are preferred in the current investigations. However, they lead to design complications and require experimental verification which is in progress at the European laboratories.

CFETR is the “ITER-like” China fusion engineering test reactor. The design of the breeding blanket is one of the key issues in achieving the required tritium breeding radio for the self-sufficiency of tritium as a fuel. As one option, a BIT (breeder insider tube) type helium cooled ceramic breeder blanket (HCCB) was designed. This paper presents the design of the BIT—HCCB blanket configuration inside a reactor and its structure, along with neutronics, thermo-hydraulics and thermal stress analyses. Such preliminary performance analyses indicate that the design satisfies the requirements and the material allowable limits.

On the basis of current understanding of physical processes in tokamaks and taking into account engineering constraints, it is shown that a low-cost facility of a moderate size can be designed within the adopted concept. This facility makes it possible to achieve the power density of neutron flux which is of interest, in particular, for solving the problem of 233U fuel production from thorium. By using a molten-salt blanket, the important task of ensuring the safe operation of such a reactor in the case of possible coolant loss is accomplished. Moreover, in a hybrid reactor with the blanket based on liquid salts, the problem of periodic refueling that is difficult to perform in solid blankets can be solved.

On the basis of current understanding of physical processes in tokamaks and taking into account engineering constraints, it is shown that a low-cost facility of a moderate size can be designed within the adopted concept. This facility makes it possible to achieve the power density of neutron flux which is of interest, in particular, for solving the problem of {sup 233}U fuel production from thorium. By using a molten-salt blanket, the important task of ensuring the safe operation of such a reactor in the case of possible coolant loss is accomplished. Moreover, in a hybrid reactor with the blanket based on liquid salts, the problem of periodic refueling that is difficult to perform in solid blankets can be solved.

Regeneration operation is a very important operation, because it is the most influential factor for deciding the net operation cycle time and the minimum dimension of Cryogenic Molecular Sieve Bed (CMSB). However, the experimental data of CMSB regeneration operation was not so sufficient that even the optimum regeneration procedure could not be decided yet. This work was focused on getting the primary information about various regeneration procedures. (author)

Typical design concepts of liquid metal breeder blankets for power reactors are explained and characterized. The major problems of these concepts are described for both water-cooled blankets and self-cooled blankets. Three crucial issues of liquid metal breeder blankets are investigated. They are in the fields of magnetohydrodynamics, tritium control and safety. The influence of the magnetic field on liquid metal flow is of special interest for self-cooled blankets. The main problems in this field and the status of the related R and D work are described. Tritium permeation losses to the cooling water is a crucial issue for water-cooled blankets. Methods for its reduction are discussed. An inherent problem of all liquid breeder blankets is the potential release of activated products in the case of chemical reactions between the breeder material and water or reactive gases. The most important issues in this field are described. (orig.).

A joint study of tokamak reactor first-wall/blanket/shield technology was conducted by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company (MDAC). The objectives of this program were the identification of key technological limitations for various tritium-breeding-blanket design concepts, establishment of a basis for assessment and comparison of the design features of each concept, and development of optimized blanket designs. The approach used involved a review of previously proposed blanket designs, analysis of critical technological problems and design features associated with each of the blanketconcepts, and a detailed evaluation of the most tractable design concepts. Tritium-breeding-blanketconcepts were evaluated according to the proposed coolant. The ANL effort concentrated on evaluation of lithium- and water-cooled blanket designs while the MDAC effort focused on helium- and molten salt-cooled designs. A joint effort was undertaken to provide a consistent set of materials property data used for analysis of all blanketconcepts. Generalized nuclear analysis of the tritium breeding performance, an analysis of tritium breeding requirements, and a first-wall stress analysis were conducted as part of the study. The impact of coolant selection on the mechanical design of a tokamak reactor was evaluated. Reference blanket designs utilizing the four candidate coolants are presented.

Highlights: • Experimental activities to characterize the Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}. • Compression tests of pebbles. • Experimental evaluation of thermal conductivity of pebbles bed at different temperatures. • Experimental test with/without compression load. - Abstract: An open issue for fusion power reactor is to design a suitable breeding blanket capable to produce the necessary quantity of the tritium and to transfer the energy of the nuclear fusion reaction to the coolant. The envisaged solution called Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) breeding blanket foresees the use of lithium orthosilicate (Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}) or lithium metatitanate (Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}) pebble beds. The thermal mechanical properties of the candidate pebble bed materials are presently extensively investigated because they are critical for the feasibility and performances of the numerous conceptual designs which use a solidbreeder. This study is aimed at the investigation of mechanical properties of the lithium orthosilicate and at the characterization of the main chemical, physical and thermo-mechanical properties taking into account the production technology. In doing that at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering (DICI) of the University of Pisa adequate experiments were carried out. The obtained results may contribute to characterize the material of the pebbles and to optimize the design of the envisaged fusion breeding blankets.

Highlights: • The superheated steam and PWR schemes are analyzed by RELAP5 code. • The influence of non-uniform heating sources is include. • A supposed slow flow decrease case is discussed and the PWR scheme is better. - Abstract: Water cooled blanket (WCB) is very important in the conceptual design and energy transfer in future fusion power plant. One conceptual design of WCB is under computational testing. RELAP5 code, which is mature and often used in transient analysis in Pressurizer water reactor (PWR), is selected as the simulation tool. The complex inner flow channels and heat sources are simplified according to its thermal–hydraulic characteristics. Then the nodal model for REALP5 is built for approximating the conceptual design. Two typical operating plans, superheated steam scheme and PWR scheme, are analyzed. After some adjustments of the inlet flow resistance coefficients of some flow channels, the reasonable stable conditions of both operation plans can be obtained. The stable fluid and wall temperature distributions and pressure drops are studied. At last, a supposed slow flow decreasing is discussed under two operating conditions separately. According to present results, the superheated steam scheme still needs to be further optimized. The PWR scheme shows a very good safety feature.

Full Text Available As for Light Water Reactors (LWRs, one of the most challenging accidents for the future DEMOnstration power plant is the Loss of Coolant Accident, which can trigger the pressurization of the confinement structures and components. Hence, careful analyses have to be executed to demonstrate that the confinement barriers are able to withstand the pressure peak within design limits and the residual cooling capabilities of the Primary Heat Transfer System are sufficient to remove the decay heat. To do so, severe accident codes, as MELCOR, can be employed. In detail, the MELCOR code has been developed to cope also with fusion reactors, but unfortunately, these fusion versions are based on the old 1.8.x source code. On the contrary, for LWRs, the newest 2.1.x versions are continuously updated. Thanks to the new features introduced in these latest 2.1.x versions, the main phenomena occurring in the helium-cooled blanketconcepts of DEMO can be simulated in a basic manner. For this purpose, several analyses during normal and accidental DEMO conditions have been executed. The aim of these analyses is to compare the results obtained with MELCOR 1.8.2 and MELCOR 2.1 in order to highlight the differences among the results of the main thermal-hydraulic parameters.

Highlights: • The concept for the blanket maintenance is carried out, including three sub-systems. • The basic maintenance procedure for blanket between VV and hot cell is carried out. • The primary kinematics study is used to verify the feasibility of BRHS. • Virtual reality is adopted as another approach to verify the concept design. - Abstract: The China Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR), which is a new superconducting tokamak device being designed by China, has a mission to achieve a high duty time (0.3–0.5). To accomplish this great mission, the big modular blanket option has been adopted to achieve the high efficiency of the blanket maintenance. Considering this mission and the large and heavy blanket module, a novel conceptual blanket maintenance system for CFETR has been carried out by us over the past year. This paper presents the conceptual design of the Blanket Remote Handling System (BRHS), which mainly comprises the In-Vessel-Maintenance-System (IVMS), Lifting System and Blanket-Tool-Manipulator System (BTMS). The BRHS implements the extraction and replacement between in-vessel (the blanket module operation configuration location) and ex-vessel (inside of the vertical maintenance cask) by the collaboration of these three sub systems. What is more, this paper represents the blanket maintenance procedure between the docking station (between hot cell building and tokamak building) and inside the vacuum vessel, in tokamak building. Virtual reality technology is also used to verify and optimize our concept design.

The basic design of the breeding blanket consists of cylindrical aluminium canisters filled with a ceramic bed of moderating, shielding, and breeding materials all suitably cooled. A technical analysis of the blanket for an EPR design is given. Activation studies are presented. The effect of pulsed magnetic fields on module structure is investigated. (MOW)

Highlights: • MARINE is designed to check the behaviour of MABB sphere-pac concept. • MABB sphere-pac are compared with MABB pellet. • Swelling and helium release behaviour will be the main output of the experiment. • An experiment to check sphere-pac MADF fuel behaviour has been already performed. - Abstract: Americium is a strong contributor to the long term radiotoxicity of high activity nuclear waste. Transmutation by irradiation in nuclear reactors of long-lived nuclides like {sup 241}Am is therefore an option for the reduction of radiotoxicity and heat production of waste packages to be stored in a repository. The MARINE irradiation experiment is the latest of a series of European experiments on americium transmutation (e.g. EFTTRA-T4, EFTTRA-T4bis, HELIOS, MARIOS, SPHERE) performed in the High Flux Reactor (HFR). The MARINE experiment is developed and carried out in the framework of the collaborative research project PELGRIMM of the EURATOM 7th Framework Programme (FP7). During the past years of experimental works in the field of transmutation and tests of innovative nuclear fuels, the release or trapping of helium as well as swelling have been shown to be the key issues for the design of such kind of fuel both as drivers and even more for Am-bearing blanket targets (due to the higher Am contents). The main objective of the MARINE experiment is to study the in-pile behaviour of uranium oxide fuel containing 13% of americium and to compare the behaviour of sphere-pac versus pellet fuel, in particular the role of microstructure and temperature on fission gas release and He on fuel swelling. The MARINE experiment will be irradiated in 2016 in the HFR in Petten (The Netherlands) and is expected to be completed in spring 2017. This paper discusses the rationale and objective of the MARINE experiment and provides a general description of its design for which some innovative features have been adopted.

A water-cooling solidbreederblanket is a prime candidate for the blanket of the fusion reactor in Japan. In this case, the blanket tritium recovery system will be composed of three processes: tritium recovery from helium sweep gas as hydrogen, that as water vapour and tritium recovery from coolant water. The authors have proposed a set of advanced systems. For tritium recovery as hydrogen, an electrochemical hydrogen pump with a ceramic proton conductor has been proposed. The correlation between the proton concentration in the ceramic and the hydrogen gas pressure has been investigated to describe the pumping performance specifically. A ceramic electrolysis cell has been proposed to process the tritiated water vapour. The authors have developed a new electrode containing cerium oxide, and it has shown fairly good electrolysis efficiency. For tritium recovery from coolant water, reduction in the processing water by tritium concentration is necessary. The authors have proposed to apply the fixed-bed adsorption process of synthetic zeolite, and have developed new zeolite. It showed unique characteristics for water adsorption and desorption. The authors have determined the potential of these systems for the blanket of the fusion DEMO reactor.

We have initiated a study to define a blanket processing mockup for Tritium Systems Test Assembly. Initial evaluation of the requirements of the blanket processing system have been started. The first step of the work is to define the condition of the gaseous tritium stream from the blanket tritium recovery system. This report summarizes this part of the work for one particular blanketconcept, i.e., a self-cooled lithium blanket. The total gas throughput, the hydrogen to tritium ratio, the corrosive chemicals, and the radionuclides are defined. The key discoveries are: the throughput of the blanket gas stream (including the helium carrier gas) is about two orders of magnitude higher than the plasma exhaust stream;the protium to tritium ratio is about 1, the deuterium to tritium ratio is about 0.003;the corrosion chemicals are dominated by halides;the radionuclides are dominated by C-14, P-32, and S-35;their is high level of nitrogen contamination in the blanket stream. 77 refs., 6 figs., 13 tabs.

A self-cooled lithium-vanadium blanketconcept capable of operating with 2 MW/m{sup 2} surface heat flux and 10 MW/m{sup 2} neutron wall loading has been developed. The blanket has liquid lithium as the tritium breeder and the coolant to alleviate issues of coolant breeder compatibility and reactivity. Vanadium alloy (V-4Cr-4Ti) is used as the structural material because it can accommodate high heat loads. Also, it has good mechanical properties at high temperatures, high neutron fluence capability, low degradation under neutron irradiation, good compatibility with the blanket materials, low decay heat, low waste disposal rating, and adequate strength to accommodate the electromagnetic loads during plasma disruption events. Self-healing electrical insulator (CaO) is utilized to reduce the MHD pressure drop. A poloidal coolant flow with high velocity at the first wall is used to reduce the peak temperature of the vanadium structure and to accommodate high surface heat flux. The blanket has a simple blanket configuration and low coolant pressure to reduce the fabrication cost, to improve the blanket reliability, and to increase confidence in the blanket performance. Spectral shifter, moderator, and reflector are utilized to improve the blanket shielding capability and energy multiplication, and to reduce the radial blanket thickness. Natural lithium is used to avoid extra cost related to the lithium enrichment process.

A self-cooled lithium-vanadium blanketconcept capable of operating with 2 MW/m{sup 2} surface heat flux and 10 MW/m{sup 2} neutron wall loading has been developed. The blanket has liquid lithium as the tritium breeder and the coolant to alleviate issues of coolant breeder compatibility and reactivity. Vanadium alloy (V-4Cr-4Ti) is used as the structural material because it can accommodate high heat loads. Also, it has good mechanical properties at high temperatures, high neutron fluence capability, low degradation under neutron irradiation, good compatibility with the blanket materials, low decay heat, low waste disposal rating, and adequate strength to accommodate the electromagnetic loads during plasma disruption events. Self-healing electrical insulator (CaO) is utilized to reduce the MHD pressure drop. A poloidal coolant flow with high velocity at the first wall is used to reduce the peak temperature of the vanadium structure and to accommodate high surface heat flux. The blanket has a simple blanket configuration and low coolant pressure to reduce the fabrication cost, to improve the blanket reliability, and to increase confidence in the blanket performance. Spectral shifter, moderator, and reflector are utilized to improve the blanket shielding capability and energy multiplication, and to reduce the radial blanket thickness. Natural lithium is used to avoid extra cost related to the lithium enrichment process.

An exploratory development contract was undertaken on December 23, 1977 which had as its purpose the development and demonstration of a flexible armored blanket design suitable for providing ballistic protection to nuclear weapons during shipment. Objectives were to design and fabricate a prototype blanket which will conform to the weapon shape, is troop-handleable in the field, and which, singly or in multiple layers, can defeat a range of kinetic energy armor piercing (AP) ammunition potentially capable of damaging the critical portion of the nuclear weapon. Following empirical testing, including the firing of threat ammunition under controlled laboratory and field test conditions, materials were selected and assembled into two blanket designs, each weighing approximately 54 kg/m{sup 2} (11 lbs/ft{sup 2}) and estimated to cost from $111 to $180 per ft{sup 2} in production. A firing demonstration to evidence blanket performance against terrorist/light infantry weapons, heavy infantry weapons, and aircraft cannon was conducted for representatives of the DOD and interested Sandia employees on April 12, 1978. The blankets performed better than anticipated defeating bullets up to 7.62 mm x 51 mm AP with one layer and projectiles up to 23 mm HEI with two layers. Based on these preliminary tests it is recommended that development work be continued with the following objectives: (1) the selection by the DOD of priority applications, (2) the specific design and fabrication of sufficient quantities of armored blankets for field testing, (3) the evaluation of the blankets by DOD operational units, with reports to Sandia Laboratories to enable final design.

Highlights: • Detailed numerical analysis of heat transfer in a water-cooling first wall was carried out based on the conceptual design of CFETR WCSB blanket. • Investigation of the influences of buoyancy effect and surface roughness on heat transfer in the water-cooling first wall was presented. • Analysis of the effect of the front wall thickness on temperature was carried out for the water-cooling first wall design. • Simulation results of two 1D CFD methods were evaluated by the 3D CFD data. - Abstract: China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), the first fusion reactor experiment project planned in China, is now being investigated in detail. Recently, a conceptual structural design of the Water-Cooled-Solid-Breeder (WCSB) blanket was proposed as one of the breeding blanket candidates for CFETR. In this research, based on the present design of the CFETR WCSB blanket, the heat transfer performance in the first wall (FW) under the pressurized water cooling condition was analyzed. The 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results show that the maximal temperature of the FW will not exceed the limited temperature under normal or even higher heat flux condition. In addition, the effect of buoyancy on heat transfer is negligible under both conditions. The influence of roughness becomes increasingly important when the roughness height lies in the fully turbulent regime. The maximal temperature increases approximately linearly as the thickness of the front wall increases. It is also found that the heat flux and the local heat transfer coefficient are extremely non-uniform in the circumferential direction. Two 1D CFD methods are also evaluated by 3D CFD data, with the conclusion that both 1D results have some differences with the 3D data. The improved 1D method is more accurate than the former one. However, we ascertain that 1D methods should be used with caution for the water-cooling FW design.

In the Haida nation, there are two phratries, Eagle and Raven, divided into a number of clans sharing one or more emblems. These emblems, inherited from the mother's line, adorn the button blankets which are the traditional ceremonial robes that serve to identify the family of the wearer. Written instructions and diagrams guide students in…

Highlights: • The HCLL blanket design has been modified to adapt it to the 2012 EFDA DEMO specifications. • The new design has been developed with the aim to capitalize on TBM experience in ITER. • A new attachment system for the modules has been proposed. - Abstract: The Helium Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) blanket is one of the candidate European blanketconcepts selected for the DEMOnstration fusion power plant that should follow ITER. In a fusion power plant, the blanket is one of the key components because of its impact on the plant performance, availability, safety and economics. In 2012, the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) agency issued new specifications for DEMO: this paper describes the work performed to adapt the previous 2007 HCLL-DEMO blanket design to those specifications. A new segmentation has been defined assuming straight surfaces for all blanket modules. Following the Multi Module Segment (MMS) option, all modules are attached to a common back supporting structure which also serves as manifold for Helium and PbLi distribution. A detailed CAD design of the central outboard module has been defined. Thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical analyses on of the First Wall and Breeder Zone have been carried out. For the attachment of the modules to the common backplate, a new solution based on the use of Tie Rods, derived from the design of the corresponding HCLL Test Blanket Module for ITER, has been proposed. This paper also identifies the priorities for further development of the HCLL blanket design.

In all fusion reactors using the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle, a large fraction approximately 80 percent of the fusion energy will be released as approximately 14 MeV neutrons which must be slowed down in a relatively thick blanket surrounding the plasma, thereby, converting their kinetic energy to high temperature heat which can be continuously removed by a coolant stream and converted in part to electricity in a conventional power turbine. Because of the primary goal of achieving minimum radioactivity, to date Brookhaven blanketconcepts have been restricted to the use of some form of solid lithium, with inert gas-cooling and in some design cases, water-cooling of the shell structure. Aluminum and graphite have been identified as very promising structural materials for fusion blankets, and conceptual designs based on these materials have been made. Depending on the thermal loading on the ''first'' wall which surrounds the plasma as well as blanket design, heat transfer problems may be noticeably different in gas-cooled solid blankets. Approaches to solution of heat removal problems as well as explanation of: (a) the after-heat problems in blankets; (b) tritium breeding in solids; and (c) materials selection for radiation shields relative to the minimum activity blanket efforts at Brookhaven are discussed.

Highlights: • Breeder blanketconcepts for DEMO—design features. • Neutronic characteristics of breeder blankets. • Evaluation of Tritium breeding potential. • Evaluation of shielding performance. - Abstract: This paper presents nuclear performance issues of the HCPB, HCLL, DCLL and WCLL breeder blankets, which are under development within the PPPT (Power Plant Physics and Technology) programme of EUROfusion, with the objective to assess the potential and suitability of the blankets for the application to DEMO. The assessment is based on the initial design versions of the blankets developed in 2014. The Tritium breeding potential is considered sufficient for all breeder blankets although the initial design versions of the HCPB, HCLL and DCLL blankets were shown to require further design improvements. Suitable measures have been proposed and proven to be sufficient to achieve the required Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) ≥ 1.10. The shielding performance was shown to be sufficient to protect the super-conducting toroidal field coil provided that efficient shielding material mixtures including WC or borated water are utilized. The WCLL blanket does not require the use of such shielding materials due to a very compact blanket support structure/manifold configuration which yet requires design verification. The vacuum vessel can be safely operated over the full anticipated DEMO lifetime of 6 full power years for all blanketconcepts considered.

Single layer and multilayer insulating blankets for high-temperature service fabricated without sewing. TABI woven fabric made of aluminoborosilicate. Triangular-cross-section flutes of core filled with silica batting. Flexible blanket formed into curved shapes, providing high-temperature and high-heat-flux insulation.

A cylindrical module concept was developed, analyzed, and incorporated in a tokamak blanket system that includes piping systems, vacuum boundary sealing, and support structures. The design is based on the use of state-of-the-art structural materials (20% cold-worked type 316 stainless steel), lithium as the breeding material, and pressurized helium as the coolant. The module design consists of nested concentric cylinders (with an outer diameter of 10 cm) and features direct wall cooling by helium flowing between the outer (first-wall) cylinder and the inner (lithium-containing) cylinder. Each cylinder can withstand full coolant pressure, thus enhancing reliability. Results show that stainless steel is a viable material for a first wall subjected to a neutron wall loading of 4 MW/m/sup 2/ and a particle heat flux of 1 MW/m/sup 2/. Lifetime analysis shows that the first-wall design meets the goal of operating at 20-min cycles with 95% duty for 100,000 cycles. To reduce system complexity, a larger 20-cm-diam module also was analyzed for incorporation in the blanket assembly. Reliability assessment indicates that it may be possible to double the module in size from 10 to 20 cm in diameter. With a modest increase in coolant pumping power, a blanket assembly comprising 20-cm-diam modules can still achieve 100,000 operating cycles - equivalent to a 3.6-year design lifetime - with only one or two helium coolant leaks into the plasma.

Highlights: • The WCLL blanket design has been modified to adapt it to the 2012 EFDA DEMO specifications. • Preliminary CAD design of the equatorial outboard module of the WCLL blanket has been developed for DEMO. • Finite elements analyses have been carried out in order to assess the module thermal behavior in the straight part of the module. - Abstract: The water cooled lithium lead (WCLL) blanket, based on near-future technology requiring small extrapolation from present-day knowledge both on physical and technological aspect, is one of the breeding blanketconcepts considered as possible candidates for the EU DEMOnstration power plant. In 2012, the EFDA agency issued new specifications for DEMO: this paper describes the work performed to adapt the WCLL blanket design to those specifications. Relatively small modules with straight surfaces are attached to a common Back Supporting Structure housing feeding pipes. Each module features reduced activation ferritic-martensitic steel as structural material, liquid Lithium-Lead as breeder, neutron multiplier and carrier. Water at typical Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) conditions is chosen as coolant. A preliminary design of the equatorial outboard module has been achieved. Finite elements analyses have been carried out in order to assess the module thermal behavior. Two First Wall (FW) concepts have been proposed, one favoring the thermal efficiency, the other favoring the manufacturability. The Breeding Zone has been designed with C-shaped Double-Walled Tubes in order to minimize the Water/Pb-15.7Li interaction likelihood. The priorities for further development of the WCLL blanketconcept are identified in the paper.

Magnetohydrodynamic flows in pipes of ferromagnetic material is an important issue for liquid metal blanketconcepts using MANET as wall material. Fusion relevant magnetic fields of 4-8 T cause high pressure drop in the blanket header where a massive structure of ferromagnetic material exists. It is briefly outlined that in the blanket the reduction of pressure drop due to magnetic shielding is limited to about 10%. Remarkable reduction of pressure drop is possible by means of electrical insulation that prevents currents from short-circuiting through the very thick walls of the headers. Direct contact of the insulating material with the liquid metal is excluded by using metallic liners. Results are reported on the fabrication of such a test section and corresponding pressure drop measurements confirm the effective contribution of the electrical decoupling.

The blanket system is one of the most important components of a fusion reactor because it has a major impact on both the economics and safety of fusion energy. The primary functions of the blanket in a deuterium/tritium-fueled fusion reactor are to convert the fusion energy into sensible heat and to breed tritium for the fuel cycle. The blanket comparison and selection study, conducted earlier, described the overall comparative performance of different blanketconcepts, including liquid metal, molten salt, water, and helium. This paper will discuss the ITER requirements for a self-cooled blanketconcept with liquid lithium and for indirectly cooled concepts that use other alkali metals such as NaK. The paper addresses the thermodynamics of interactions between the liquid metals (e.g., lithium and NaK) and structural materials (e.g., V-base alloys), together with associated corrosion/compatibility issues. Available experimental data are used to assess the long-term performance of the first wall in a liquid metal environment. Other key issues include development of electrical insulator coatings on the first-wall structural material to MHD pressure drop, and tritium permeation/inventory in self-cooled and indirectly cooled concepts. Acceptable types of coatings (based on their chemical compatibility and physical properties) are identified, and surface-modification avenues to achieve these coatings on the first wall are discussed. The assessment examines the extent of our knowledge on structural materials performance in liquid metals and identifies needed research and development in several of the areas in order to establish performance envelopes for the first wall in a liquid-metal environment.

ITER in-vessel components such as blankets are scheduled maintenance components, including complete shield blanket replacement for breeding blankets. In-vessel components are activated by 14 MeV neutrons, so blanket maintenance requires remote handling equipment and tools able to handle heavy payloads of about 4 tons within a positioning accuracy of 2 mm under intense gamma radiation. To facilitate remote maintenance, blankets are segmented into 730 modules and rail-mounted vehicle remote maintenance was developed. According to the ITER R and D program, critical technology related to blanket maintenance was developed extensively through joint efforts of the Japan, EU, and U.S. home teams. This paper summarizes current blanket maintenance technology conducted by the Japan Home Team, including development of full-scale remote handling equipment and tools for blanket maintenance. (author)

The self-cooled lithium-vanadium fusion blanketconcept has several attractive operational and environmental features. In this concept, liquid lithium works as the tritium breeder and coolant to alleviate issues of coolant breeder compatibility and reactivity. Vanadium alloy (V-4Cr-4Ti) is used as the structural material because of its superior performance relative to other alloys for this application. However, this concept has poor attenuation characteristics and energy multiplication for the DT neutrons. An advanced self-cooled lithium-vanadium fusion blanketconcept has been developed to eliminate these drawbacks while maintaining all the attractive features of the conventional concept. An electrical insulator coating for the coolant channels, spectral shifter (multiplier, and moderator) and reflector were utilized in the blanket design to enhance the blanket performance. In addition, the blanket was designed to have the capability to operate at high loading conditions of 2 MW/m{sup 2} surface heat flux and 10 MW/m{sup 2} neutron wall loading. This paper assesses the spectral shifter and the reflector materials and it defines the technological requirements of this advanced blanketconcept.

A thermal/mechanical study has been performed which illustrates the behavior of a fusion reactor first wall and blanket module during a loss of coolant flow event. The relative safety advantages of various material and design options were determined. A generalized first wall-blanketconcept was developed to provide the flexibility to vary the structural material (stainless steel vs titanium), coolant (helium vs water), and breeder material (liquid lithium vs solid lithium aluminate). In addition, independent vs common first wall-blanket cooling and coupled adjacent module cooling design options were included in the study. The comparative analyses were performed using a modified thermal analysis code to handle phase change problems.

A packed fluidized bed blanket for a fusion reactor providing for efficient radiation absorption for energy recovery, efficient neutron absorption for nuclear transformations, ease of blanket removal, processing and replacement, and on-line fueling/refueling. The blanket of the reactor contains a bed of stationary particles during reactor operation, cooled by a radial flow of coolant. During fueling/refueling, an axial flow is introduced into the bed in stages at various axial locations to fluidize the bed. When desired, the fluidization flow can be used to remove particles from the blanket.

This paper consists of viewgraphs used in a presentation on the application of beryllium in breeding blankets for ITER and JET. The paper brings together data on the physical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties of beryllium and beryllium oxide for this type of application, as well as issues of compatibility with construction materials, and irradiation experience. It includes the results from testing programs carried out to arrive at some of the information, including fabrication work, irradiation experiments, and sample tests performed both in and out of the irradiation piles.

Recent re-assessment of tokamak reactors which move towards smaller size and lower required field strength (higher beta)/sup 2/ change the picture as regards the magnitude of MHD effects on flow resistance for lithium coolant. Perhaps the most important consequence of this as regards use of this coolant is that of clear acceptability of such effects when the flow is predominantly transverse to the magnetic field. This permits defining a blanket that consists entirely of round tubes containing the circulated lithium with voids between the tubes. Required thermal-hydraulic calculations are then on bases which are well established, especially in view of recent results dealing with perturbations of ducts and magnetic fields. Mitigation of MHD effects is feasible through tapering of tube wall thickness or use of insulated layers, but their use was not mandatory for the assumed conditions. Blanket configurations utilizing flowing lithium in round tubes immersed in static lithium may be suitable, but calculational methods do not now exist for this situation. Use of boiling potassium or cesium appears to be prohibitive in terms of vapor flow area when temperature levels are consistent with stainless steel. Liquid sodium, in addition to not being a breeding material, requires higher velocity than lithium for the same heat removal.

Helium is attractive for use as a fusion blanket coolant for a number of reasons. It is neutronically and chemically inert, nonmagnetic, and will not change phase during any off-normal or accident condition. A significant disadvantage of helium, however, is its low density and volumetric heat capacity. This disadvantage manifests itself most clearly during undercooling accident conditions such as a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) or a loss of flow accident (LOFA). This thesis describes a new helium-cooled tritium breeding blanketconcept which performs significantly better during such accidents than current designs. The proposed blanket uses reduced-activation ferritic steel as a structural material and is designed for neutron wall loads exceeding 4 MW/m{sup 2}. The proposed geometry is based on the nested-shell concept developed by Wong, but some novel features are used to reduce the severity of the first wall temperature excursion. These features include the following: (1) A ``beryllium-joint`` concept is introduced, which allows solid beryllium slabs to be used as a thermal conduction path from the first wall to the cooler portions of the blanket. The joint concept allows for significant swelling of the beryllium (10 percent or more) without developing large stresses in the blanket structure. (2) Natural circulation of the coolant in the water-cooled shield is used to maintain shield temperatures below 100 degrees C, thus maintaining a heat sink close to the blanket during the accident. This ensures the long-term passive safety of the blanket.

This report includes electromagnetic analyses for ITER shielding blanket modules, fabrication methods for the blanket modules and the back plate, the design and the fabrication methods for port limiter have been investigated. Studies on the runaway electron impact for Be armor have been also performed. (J.P.N.)

Selecting relevant features is in demand when a large data set is of interest in a classification task. It produces a tractable number of features that are sufficient and possibly improve the classification performance. This paper studies a statistical method of Markov blanket induction algorithm...... induction as a feature selection method. In addition, we point out an important assumption behind the Markov blanket induction algorithm and show its effect on the classification performance....... for filtering features and then applies a classifier using the Markov blanket predictors. The Markov blanket contains a minimal subset of relevant features that yields optimal classification performance. We experimentally demonstrate the improved performance of several classifiers using a Markov blanket...

{sup 6}Li produces tritium by (n, {alpha}) nuclear reaction, {sup 6}Li + {sup 1}n {yields} {sup 4}He + {sup 3}H. Lithium titanate (Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}) enriched with {sup 6}Li, is the most promising candidate for solid test blanket module (TBM) material for fusion reactors. Various processes are reported in literature for the fabrication of Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebbles for its use as TBM material. A process has been developed based on the solid state reaction of lithium-carbonate and titanium-dioxide for the synthesis of lithium titanate and pebble fabrication by extrusion, spherodization and sintering. This paper discusses the sequence of steps followed in this process and the properties obtained. Analytical grade titanium-dioxide and lithium-carbonate were taken in stoichiometric ratio and were milled to ensure thorough intimate mixing and obtain fine particles less than 45 {mu}m before its calcination at 900 {sup o}C. Following calcination, the agglomerated product was again milled to fine particles of size less than 45 {mu}m. Aqueous solution of ploy-vinyl-alcohol was added as binder prior to its feeding in the extruder. The extruded strips were spherodized and spherical pebbles were dried and sintered at 900 {sup o}C for different duration. Pebbles of desired density and porosity were obtained by suitable combination of sintering temperature and duration of sintering. Properties of the prepared pebbles were also characterized for sphericity, pore size distribution, grain size, crushing load strength, etc. The values were found to be conforming to the desired properties for use as solidbreeder. The attractive feature of this process is almost no waste generation.

The ITER breeding blanket employs a ceramic breeder and Be neutron multiplier both in small spherical pebble form. Radial-poloidal cooling panels are arranged in the blanket box to remove the nuclear heating in these materials and to reinforce the blanket structure. At the first wall, Be armor is bonded onto the stainless steel (SS) structure to provide a low Z plasma-compatible surface and to protect the first wall/blanket structure from the direct contact with the plasma during off-normal events. Thermo-mechanical analyses and investigation of fabrication procedure have been performed for this breeding blanket. To evaluate thermo-mechanical behavior of the pebble beds including the dependency of the effective thermal conductivity on stress, analysis methods have been preliminary established by the use of special calculation option of ABAQUS code, which are briefly summarized in this report. The structural response of the breeding blanket module under internal pressure of 4 MPa (in case of in-blanket LOCA) resulted in rather high stress in the blanket side (toroidal end) wall, thus addition of a stiffening rib or increase of the wall thickness will be needed. Two-dimensional elasto-plastic analyses have been performed for the Be/SS bonded interface at the first wall taking a fabrication process based on HIP bonding and thermal cycle due to pulsed plasma operation into account. The stress-strain hysteresis during these process and operation was clarified, and a procedure to assess and/or confirm the bonding integrity was also proposed. Fabrication sequence of the breeding blanket module was preliminarily developed based on the procedure to fabricate part by part and to assemble them one by one. (author)

Lithium is often the preferred choice as breeder and coolant in fusion blankets as it offers excellent heat transfer and corrosion properties, and most importantly, it has a very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and exacerbates plant safety concerns. For this reason, over the years numerous blanketconcepts have been proposed with the scope of reducing concerns associated with lithium. The European helium cooled pebble bed breeding blanket (HCPB) physically confines lithium within ceramic pebbles. The pebbles reside within a low activation martensitic ferritic steel structure and are cooled by helium. The blanket is composed of the tritium breeding lithium ceramic pebbles and neutron multiplying beryllium pebbles. Other blanket designs utilize lead to lower chemical reactivity; LiPb alone can serve as a breeder, coolant, neutron multiplier, and tritium carrier. Blankets employing LiPb coolants alongside silicon carbide structural components can achieve high plant efficiency, low afterheat, and low operation pressures. This alloy can also be used alongside of helium such as in the dual-coolant lead-lithium concept (DCLL); helium is utilized to cool the first wall and structural components made up of low-activation ferritic steel, whereas lithium-lead (LiPb) acts as a self-cooled breeder in the inner channels of the blanket. The helium-cooled steel and lead-lithium alloy are separated by flow channel inserts (usually made out of silicon carbide) which thermally insulate the self-cooled breeder region from the helium cooled steel walls. This creates a LiPb breeder with a much higher exit temperature than the steel which increases the power cycle efficiency and also lowers the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop [6]. Molten salt blankets with a mixture of lithium, beryllium, and fluorides (FLiBe) offer good tritium breeding

This paper proposes two local multifractal measures motivated by blanket method for calculation of fractal dimension. They cover both fractal approaches familiar in image processing. The first two measures (proposed Methods 1 and 3) support model of image with embedded dimension three, while the other supports model of image embedded in space of dimension three (proposed Method 2). While the classical blanket method provides only one value for an image (fractal dimension) multifractal spectrum obtained by any of the proposed measures gives a whole range of dimensional values. This means that proposed multifractal blanket model generalizes classical (monofractal) blanket method and other versions of this monofractal approach implemented locally. Proposed measures are validated on Brodatz image database through texture classification. All proposed methods give similar classification results, while average computation time of Method 3 is substantially longer. PMID:24578664

Blankets and other in-vessel components are easily damaged owing to their circumstance of high radiation and high heat. To protect them, first wall design should be considered. Owing to its high heat removal nd self-refreshing capability, liquid metal first wall has been seen as a potential first wall for a fusion reactor in the future. Blanketliquid curtain is actually a special liquid metal wall to protect blanket.

The helium cooled lithium lead (HCLL) blanketconcept was originally developed in CEA at the beginning of 2000: it is one of the two European blanketconcepts to be tested in ITER in the form of a test blanket module (TBM) and one of the four blanketconcepts currently being considered for the DEMOnstration reactor that will follow ITER. The TBM is a highly optimized component for the ITER environment that will provide crucial information for the development of the DEMO blanket, but its design needs to be adapted to the DEMO reactor. With respect to the TBM design, reduction of the steel content in the breeding zone (BZ) is sought in order to maximize tritium breeding reactions. Different options are being studied, with the potential of reaching tritium breeding ratio (TBR) values up to 1.21. At the same time, the design of the back supporting structure (BSS), which is a DEMO specific component that has to support the blanket modules inside the vacuum vessel (VV), is ongoing with the aim of maximizing the shielding power and minimizing pumping power. This implies a re-engineering of the modules’ attachment system. Design changes however, will have an impact on the manufacturing and assembly sequences that are being developed for the HCLL-TBM. Due to the differences in joint configurations, thicknesses to be welded, heat dissipation and the various technical constraints related to the accessibility of the welding tools and implementation of non-destructive examination (NDE), the manufacturing procedure should be adapted and optimized for DEMO design. Laser welding instead of TIG could be an option to reduce distortions. The time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) technique is being investigated for NDE. Finally, essential information expected from the HCLL-TBM program that will be needed to finalize the DEMO design is discussed.

Full Text Available In the paper we present the Monte Carlo modelling by the means of the Monte Carlo Continuous Energy Burn-up Code of the 17x17 Pressurized Water Reactor fuel assembly designed according to the Radkowsky Thorium Fuel concept. The design incorporates the UO2 seed fuel located in the centre and (Th,UO2 blanket fuel located in the peripheries of fuel assembly. The high power seed region supplies neutrons for the low power blanket region and thus induces breeding of fissile 233U from fertile 232Th. The both regions are physically separated and thus this approach is also known as either the heterogonous approach or the Seed-Blanket Unit. In the numerical analysis we consider the time evolutions of infinite neutron multiplication factor, axial/radial power density profile, 233U, 235U and 232Th.

The blanket system is one of the most important components in a fusion reactor because it has a major impact on both the economics and safety of fusion energy. The primary functions of the blanket in a deuterium/tritium-fueled fusion reactor are to convert the fusion energy into sensible heat and to breed tritium for the fuel cycle. The liquid-metal blanketconcept requires an electrically insulating coating on the first-wall structural material to minimize the magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop that occurs during the flow of liquid metal in a magnetic field. Based on the thermodynamics of interactions between the coating and the liquid lithium on one side and the structural V-base alloy on the other side, several coating candidates are being examined to perform the insulating function over a wide range of temperatures and lithium chemistries.

Highlights: • This work defined options and methods to instrument ITER TBSs based on functional categories: safety, interlock and control and scientific exploitation based on the ITER research program. • Presented the general architecture of the HCLL and HCPB Test Blanket System Instrumentation and Control. • Defined safety and interlock sensors count and technology selection based on preliminary safety analysis. • Discussed the development status of scientific instrumentation, with focus on integration with design and fulfillment of TBM research program. - Abstract: Europe is currently developing two reference breeder blanketsconcepts for DEMO reactor specifications that will be tested in ITER under the form of Test Blanket Modules (TBMs): the Helium-Cooled Lithium-Lead (HCLL) concept which uses the eutectic Pb-16Li as both breeder and neutron multiplier; the Helium-Cooled Pebble-Bed (HCPB) concept which features lithiated ceramic pebbles as breeder and beryllium pebbles as neutron multiplier. Each TBM is associated with several sub-systems required for their operation; together they form the Test Blanket System (TBS). This paper presents the state of HCLL and HCPB TBS instrumentation design. The discussion is based on the systems functional analysis, from which three main categories of instrumentation are defined: those relevant to safety functions; those relevant to interlock functions; those designed for the control and scientific exploitation of the devices based on the TBM program objectives.

An important limiting factor to the use of ICRF as candidate heating method in a commercial reactor is due to the evanescence of the fast wave in vacuum and in most of the SOL layer, imposing proximity of the launching structure to the plasma boundary and causing, at the highest power level, high RF standing and DC rectified voltages at the plasma periphery, with frequent voltage breakdowns and enhanced local wall loading. In a previous work [1] the concept for an Ion Cyclotron Heating & Current Drive array (and using a different wave guide technology, a Lower Hybrid array) based on the use of periodic ring structure, integrated in the reactor blanket first wall and operating at high input power and low power density, was introduced. Based on the above concept, the heating performance of such array operating on a commercial fusion reactor is estimated.

An important limiting factor to the use of ICRF as candidate heating method in a commercial reactor is due to the evanescence of the fast wave in vacuum and in most of the SOL layer, imposing proximity of the launching structure to the plasma boundary and causing, at the highest power level, high RF standing and DC rectified voltages at the plasma periphery, with frequent voltage breakdowns and enhanced local wall loading. In a previous work [1] the concept for an Ion Cyclotron Heating & Current Drive array (and using a different wave guide technology, a Lower Hybrid array) based on the use of periodic ring structure, integrated in the reactor blanket first wall and operating at high input power and low power density, was introduced. Based on the above concept, the heating performance of such array operating on a commercial fusion reactor is estimated.

Highlights: • CEA with the support of Wigner-RCP and IPP-CR, is in charge of the design of the HCLL blanket for DEMO. The DEMO HCLL breeding blanket design capitalizes on the experience acquired on the HCLL Test Blanket Module designed for ITER. Design improvements are being implemented to adapt the design to DEMO specifications and performance objectives. • Thermal and mechanical analyses have been carried out in order to justify the design of the HCLL breeding blanket showing promising results for tie rods modules’ attachments system and relatively good behavior of the box in case of LOCA when comparing to RCC-MRx criteria. • CFD thermal analyses on generic breeding unit have enabled the consolidation of the results obtained with previous FEM design analyses. - Abstract: The EUROfusion Consortium develops a design of a fusion power demonstrator (DEMO) in the framework of the European “Horizon 2020” innovation and research program. One of the key components in the fusion reactor is the breeding blanket surrounding the plasma, ensuring tritium self-sufficiency, heat removal for conversion into electricity, and neutron shielding. The Helium Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) blanket is one of the concepts which is investigated for DEMO. It is made of a Eurofer structure and uses the eutectic liquid lithium–lead as tritium breeder and neutron multiplier, and helium gas as coolant. Within the EUROfusion organization, CEA with the support of Wigner-RCP and IPP-CR, is in charge of the design of the HCLL blanket for DEMO. This paper presents the status of the thermal and mechanical analyses carried out on the HCLL breeding blanket in order to justify the design. CFD thermal analyses on generic breeding unit including stiffening plates and cooling plates have been performed with ANSYS in order to consolidate results obtained with previous FEM design analyses. Moreover in order to expand the justification of the HCLL Breeding blanket design, the most loaded area of

Supervolcanoes are large caldera systems that can expel vast quantities of ash, volcanic gases in a single eruption, far larger than any recorded in recent history. These super-eruptions have been suggested as possible catalysts for long-term climate change and may be responsible for bottlenecks in human and animal populations. Here, we consider the previously neglected climatic effects of a continent-sized ash deposit with a high albedo and show that a decadal climate forcing is expected. We use a coupled atmosphere-ocean General Circulation Model (GCM) to simulate the effect of an ash blanket from Yellowstone volcano, USA, covering much of North America. Reflectivity measurements of dry volcanic ash show albedo values as high as snow, implying that the effects of an ash blanket would be severe. The modeling results indicate major disturbances to the climate, particularly to oscillatory patterns such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Atmospheric disruptions would continue for decades after the eruption due to extended ash blanket longevity. The climatic response to an ash blanket is not significant enough to investigate a change to stadial periods at present day boundary conditions, though this is one of several impacts associated with a super-eruption which may induce long-term climatic change. (orig.)

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) include behaviors such as aberrant motor behavior, agitation, anxiety, apathy, delusions, depression, disinhibition, elation, hallucinations, irritability, and sleep or appetite changes. A student-led project to provide sensory stimulation in the form of "fidget blankets" developed into a community outreach program. The goal was to decrease the use of antipsychotics used for BPSD.

The multilayer insulation (MLI) system for the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) consists of full cryostat length assemblies of aluminized polyester film fabricated in the form of blankets and installed as blankets to the 4.5K cold mass and the 20K and 80K thermal radiation shields. Approximately 40,000 MLI blankets will be required in the 10,000 cryogenic devices comprising the SSC accelerator. Each blanket is nearly 17 meters long and 1.8 meters wide. This paper reports the blanket design, an apparatus, and the fabrication method used to mass produce pre-fabricated MLI blankets. Incorporated in the blanket design are techniques which automate quality control during installation of the MLI blankets in the SSC cryostat. The apparatus and blanket fabrication method insure consistency in the mass produced blankets by providing positive control of the dimensional parameters which contribute to the thermal performance of the MLI blanket. By virtue of the fabrication process, the MLI blankets have inherent features of dimensional stability three-dimensional uniformity, controlled layer density, layer-to-layer registration, interlayer cleanliness, and interlayer material to accommodate thermal contraction differences. 11 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

The localization of the blanket jamming is studied and a new method of solving the localization ambiguity is proposed. Radars only can acquire angle information without range information when encountering the blanket jamming. Netted radars could get position information of the blanket jamming by make use of radars' relative position and the angle information, when there is one blanket jamming. In the presence of error, the localization method and the accuracy analysis of one blanket jamming are given. However, if there are more than one blanket jamming, and the two blanket jamming and two radars are coplanar, the localization of jamming could be error due to localization ambiguity. To solve this confusion, the Kalman filter model is established for all intersections, and through the initiation and association algorithm of multi-target, the false intersection can be eliminated. Simulations show that the presented method is valid.

A preliminary concept for the Korean fusion demonstration reactor (K-DEMO) has been studied by the National Fusion Research Institute (NFRI) based on the National Fusion Roadmap of Korea. The feasibility studies have been performed in order to establish the conceptual design guidelines of the breeding blanket. As a part of the NFRI research, Seoul National University (SNU) is conducting thermal design, evaluation and validation of the water-cooled breeding blanket for the K-DEMO reactor. The purpose of this study is to extend the capability of MARS-KS to the overall blanket system analysis which includes 736 blanket modules in total. The strategy for the multi-module blanket system analysis using MARS-KS is introduced and the analysis result of the 46 blanket modules of single sector was summarized. A thermal-hydraulic analysis code for a nuclear reactor safety, MARS-KS, was applied for thermal analysis of the conceptual design of the K-DEMO breeding blanket. Then, a methodology to simulate multiple blanket modules was proposed, which uses a supervisor program to handle each blanket module individually at first and then distribute the flow rate considering the pressure drop that occurs in each module. For a feasibility test of the proposed methodology, 46 blankets in a sector, which are connected with each other through the common headers for the sector inlet and outlet, were simulated. The calculation results of flow rates, pressure drops, and temperatures showed the validity of the calculation. Because of parallelization using the MPI system, the computational time could be reduced significantly. In future, this methodology will be extended to an efficient simulation of multiple sectors, and further validation for transient simulation will be carried out for more practical applications.

The Starlite team was asked to develop a power plant study for the US Demo. To define the mission of the Demo, a Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) was organized to establish the mission and requirement for the Demo power plant. Based on this input, the Starlite team outlined a set of top level requirements based on the advice provided by the UAC. With the mission and requirements thus established, the Starlite engineering team investigated various combinations of the structural material, breeding material and coolant for the blanket and shield. The reference design selected was with V-alloy as the structural material and Li as the coolant and breeder. The ability of this blanket to satisfy the top level requirements was also assessed. 11 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Ejecta blankets around impact craters are rarely preserved onEarth. Although impact craters are ubiquitous on solid bodiesthroughout the solar system, on Earth they are rapidly effaced,and few records exist of the processes that occur during emplacementof ejecta. The Stac Fada Member of the Precambrian Stoer Groupin Scotland has previously been described as volcanic in origin.However, shocked quartz and biotite provide evidence for high-pressureshock metamorphism, while chromium isotope values and elevatedabundances of platinum group metals and siderophile elementsindicate addition of meteoritic material. Thus, the unit isreinterpreted here as having an impact origin. The ejecta blanketreaches >20 m in thickness and contains abundant dark green,vesicular, devitrified glass fragments. Field observations suggestthat the deposit was emplaced as a single fluidized flow thatformed as a result of an impact into water-saturated sedimentarystrata. The continental geological setting and presence of groundwatermake this deposit an analogue for Martian fluidized ejecta blankets.

Model atmospheres of A and B stars are computed taking into account magnetic line blanketing. These calculations are based on the new stellar model atmosphere code LLModels which implements direct treatment of the opacities due to the bound-bound transitions and ensures an accurate and detailed description of the line absorption. The anomalous Zeeman effect was calculated for the field strengths between 1 and 40 kG and a field vector perpendicular to the line of sight. The model structure, high-resolution energy distribution, photometric colors, metallic line spectra and the hydrogen Balmer line profiles are computed for magnetic stars with different metallicities and are discussed with respect to those of non-magnetic reference models. The magnetically enhanced line blanketing changes the atmospheric structure and leads to a redistribution of energy in the stellar spectrum. The most noticeable feature in the optical region is the appearance of the 5200 A depression. However, this effect is prominent only in ...

The Chicxulub impact into a thick sequence of carbonates and sulfates released over a trillion tons of volatiles. The importance of the explosive release of such a large mass of volatiles has been greatly underestimated in studies of ejecta depositional processes. Proximal Chicxulub ejecta blanket deposits recent discovered on Albion Island in Belize provide a key to understanding the role of volatile-rich target material during large impact events.

This report summarizes nuclear-related work in support of the US effort for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Study. The purpose of this work was to prepare for the first international ITER workshop devoted to defining a basic ITER concept that will serve as a basis for an indepth conceptual design activity over the next 2-1/2 years. Primary tasks carried out during the past year included: design improvements of the inboard shield developed for the TIBER concept, scoping studies of a variety of tritium breeding blanket options, development of necessary design guidelines and evaluation criteria for the blanket options, further safety considerations related to nuclear components and issues regarding structural materials for an ITER device. 44 refs., 31 figs., 29 tabs.

This paper presents a preliminary study on neutron physics characteristics of a light water cooled fission blanket for a new type subcritical fusion-fission hybrid reactor aiming at electric power generation with low technical limits of fission fuel. The major objective is to study the fission fuel cycling performance in the blanket, which may possess significant impacts on the feasibility of the new concept of fusion-fission hybrid reactor with a high energy gain (M) and tritium breeding ratio (TBR). The COUPLE2 code developed by the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology of Tsinghua University is employed to simulate the neutronic behaviour in the blanket. COUPLE2 combines the particle transport code MCNPX with the fuel depletion code ORIGEN2. The code calculation results show that soft neutron spectrum can yield M > 20 while maintaining TBR >1.15 and the conversion ratio of fissile materials CR > 1 in a reasonably long refuelling cycle (>five years). The preliminary results also indicate that it is rather promising to design a high-performance light water cooled fission blanket of fusion-fission hybrid reactor for electric power generation by directly loading natural or depleted uranium if an ITER-scale tokamak fusion neutron source is achievable.

Attaining tritium self-sufficiency is an important mission for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) operating on a Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fuel cycle. It is necessary to study the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) and breeding tritium inventory variation with operation time so as to provide an accurate data for dynamic modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle. A water cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) blanket is one candidate of blanketconcepts for the CFETR. Based on the detailed 3D neutronics model of CFETR with the WCCB blanket, the time-dependent TBR and tritium surplus were evaluated by a coupling calculation of the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) and the fusion activation code FISPACT-2007. The results indicated that the TBR and tritium surplus of the WCCB blanket were a function of operation time and fusion power due to the Li consumption in breeder and material activation. In addition, by comparison with the results calculated by using the 3D neutronics model and employing the transfer factor constant from 1D to 3D, it is noted that 1D analysis leads to an over-estimation for the time-dependent tritium breeding capability when fusion power is larger than 1000 MW. supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2015GB108002, and 2014GB119000), and by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Full Text Available This paper presents the application of an analytical tool to quantify material consistency of offset printing blankets. Printing blankets are essentially viscoelastic rubber composites of several laminas. High levels of material consistency are expected from rubber blankets for quality print and for quick recovery from smash encountered during the printing process. The present study aims at determining objectively the consistency of printing blankets at three specific torque levels of tension under two distinct stages; 1. under normal printing conditions and 2. on recovery after smash. The experiment devised exhibits a variation in tone reproduction properties of each blanket signifying the levels of inconsistency also in thicknessdirection. Correlation technique was employed on ink density variations obtained from the blanket on paper. Both blankets exhibited good consistency over three torque levels under normal printing conditions. However on smash the recovery of blanket and its consistency was a function of manufacturing and torque levels. This study attempts to provide a new metrics for failure analysis of offset printing blankets. It also underscores the need for optimizing the torque for blankets from different manufacturers.

Full Text Available This paper presents the application of an analytical tool to quantify material consistency of offset printing blankets. Printing blankets are essentially viscoelastic rubber composites of several laminas. High levels of material consistency are expected from rubber blankets for quality print and for quick recovery from smash encountered during the printing process. The present study aims at determining objectively the consistency of printing blankets at three specific torque levels of tension under two distinct stages; 1. under normal printing conditions and 2. on recovery after smash. The experiment devised exhibits a variation in tone reproduction properties of each blanket signifying the levels of inconsistency also in thickness direction. Correlation technique was employed on ink density variations obtained from the blanket on paper. Both blankets exhibited good consistency over three torque levels under normal printing conditions. However on smash the recovery of blanket and its consistency was a function of manufacturing and torque levels. This study attempts to provide a new metrics for failure analysis of offset printing blankets. It also underscores the need for optimising the torque for blankets from different manufacturers.

The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement between the United States and Russia makes arrangements for the disposal of 34 metric tons of excess weapon-grade plutonium. Under this agreement Russia plans to dispose of its excess stocks by processing the plutonium into fuel for fast breeder reactors. To meet the disposition requirements this fuel would be burned while the fast reactors are run as burners, i.e., without a natural uranium blanket that can be used to breed plutonium surrounding the core. This talk discusses the potential application of antineutrino monitoring to the verification of the presence or absence of a breeding blanket. It is found that a 36 kg antineutrino detector, exploiting coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and made of silicon, could determine the presence of a breeding blanket at a liquid sodium cooled fast reactor at the 95% confidence level within 90 days. Such a detector would be a novel non-intrusive verification tool and could present a first application of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering to a real-world challenge.

China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is an ITER-like fusion engineering test reactor that is intended to fill the scientific and technical gaps between ITER and DEMO. One of the main missions of CFETR is to achieve a tritium breeding ratio that is no less than 1.2 to ensure tritium self-sufficiency. A concept design for a water cooled ceramics breeding blanket (WCCB) is presented based on a scheme with the breeder and the multiplier located in separate panels for CFETR. Based on this concept, a one-dimensional (1D) radial built breeding blanket was first designed, and then several three-dimensional models were developed with various neutron source definitions and breeding blanket module arrangements based on the 1D radial build. A set of nuclear analyses have been carried out to compare the differences in neutronics characteristics given by different calculation models, addressing neutron wall loading (NWL), tritium breeding ratio (TBR), fast neutron flux on inboard side and nuclear heating deposition on main in-vessel components. The impact of differences in modeling on the nuclear performance has been analyzed and summarized regarding the WCCB concept design. supported by the National Special Project for Magnetic Confined Nuclear Fusion Energy (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2014GB122000, and 2014GB119000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

A parametric weight assessment of advanced metallic panel, ceramic blanket, and ceramic tile thermal protection systems (TPS) was conducted using an implicit, one-dimensional (I-D) finite element sizing code. This sizing code contained models to account for coatings fasteners, adhesives, and strain isolation pads. Atmospheric entry heating profiles for two vehicles, the Access to Space (ATS) vehicle and a proposed Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), were used to ensure that the trends were not unique to a certain trajectory. Ten TPS concepts were compared for a range of applied heat loads and substructural heat capacities to identify general trends. This study found the blanket TPS concepts have the lightest weights over the majority of their applicable ranges, and current technology ceramic tiles and metallic TPS concepts have similar weights. A proposed, state-of-the-art metallic system which uses a higher temperature alloy and efficient multilayer insulation was predicted to be significantly lighter than the ceramic tile stems and approaches blanket TPS weights for higher integrated heat loads.

New developments in numerical modelling of turbulent and density-affected flow in secondary clarifiers are reported. The sludge blanket is included in the computation domain which allows us to account for sedimentation and resuspension of sludge as well as the growth and diminution of the sludge blanket and at the same time respecting mass conservation. It is shown how strongly the prediction of the sludge-blanket height depends on the approaches to describe the settling behaviour of the sludge and the rheological properties within the sludge blanket. Further, an example of dynamic simulation is presented and discussed. This demonstrates how the sludge blanket behaves during load variation and that instabilities may occur at the interface of sludge blanket and supernatant, potentially resulting in sludge wash-off during transient phases, which is not only during load increase but also during load decrease.

To develop the Korean fusion commercial reactor, preliminary design concept for K-DEMO (Korean fusion demonstration reactor) has been announced by NFRI (National Fusion Research Institute). This pre-conceptual study of K-DEMO has been introduced to identify technical details of a fusion power plant for the future commercialization of fusion reactor in Korea. Before this consideration, to build the K-DEMO, accident analysis is essential. Since the Fukushima accident, which is severe accident from unexpected disaster, safety analysis of nuclear power plant has become important. The safety analysis of both fission and fusion reactors is deemed crucial in demonstrating the low radiological effect of these reactors on the environment, during severe accidents. A risk analysis of K-DEMO should be performed, as a prerequisite for the construction of a fusion reactor. In this research, thermal-hydraulic analysis of single blanket module of K-DEMO is conducted for preliminary accident analysis for K-DEMO. Further study about effect of flow distributer is conducted. The normal K-DEMO operation condition is applied to the boundary condition and simulated to verify the material temperature limit using MELCOR. MELCOR is fully integrated, relatively fast-running code developed by Sandia National Laboratories. MELCOR had been used for Light Water Reactors and fusion reactor version of MELCOR was developed for ITER accident analysis. This study shows the result of thermal-hydraulic simulation of single blanket module with MELCOR which is severe accident code for nuclear fusion safety analysis. The difference of mass flow rate for each coolant channel with or without flow distributer is presented. With flow distributer, advantage of broadening temperature gradient in the K-DEMO blanket module and increase mass flow toward first wall is obtained. This can enhance the safety of K-DEMO blanket module. Most 13 .deg. C temperature difference in blanket module is obtained.

Highlights: • Presentation of the blanket first wall design concept to be procured by Europe. • Presentation of the main outcome of the R&D programme with the resulting FW fabrication route. • Presentation of the ITER first wall pre-qualification programme with the results achieved so far. • Presentation of the on-going irradiation experiments. • Presentation of the EU procurement strategy. - Abstract: Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Union’s Domestic Agency for ITER, is responsible for the procurement of about 50% of the ITER blanket first wall (FW), called normal heat flux FW. A procurement strategy has been implemented by the In-Vessel Project Team at F4E aimed at mitigating technical and commercial risks for the procurement of ITER blanket FW panels, promoting as far as possible competition among industrial partners. This procurement strategy has been supported by an extensive Research and Development (R&D) programme, implemented over more than 15 years in Europe, to develop various fabrication technologies. It includes in particular the manufacture and testing of small-scale, medium-scale mock-ups and full-scale prototypes of blanket FW panels. In this R&D programme, significant efforts have been devoted to the development of a reliable materials joining technique. Hot Isostatic Pressing was selected for the manufacture of the FW panels made from beryllium, copper–chromium–zirconium alloy and 316L(N)-IG austenitic stainless steel. This paper presents the main outcome of the on-going R&D programme, the latest results of the FW qualification programme together with the procurement strategy implemented by F4E for the supply of the European contribution to the procurement of the ITER blanket FW.

The US is proposing a prototype of a dual coolant liquid lead-lithium DEMO blanketconcept for testing in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) as an ITER test blanket module (TBM). Because safety considerations are an integral part of the design process to ensure that this TBM does not adversely impact the safety of ITER, a safety assessment has been conducted for this TBM and its ancillary systems as requested by the ITER project. Four events were selected by the ITER international team (IT) to address specific reactor safety concerns, such as vaccum vessel (VV) pressurization, confinement building pressure build-up, TBM decay heat removal capability, tritium and activation products release from the TBM system and hydrogen and heat production from chemical reactions. This paper summarizes the results of this safety assessment conducted with the MELCOR computer code.

The main features of a tritium breeding blanket for a Demonstration Power Reactor involving the eutectic Pb-17Li as liquid breeder and water as coolant are presented. The configuration of the blanket segments and breeder modules as well as their arrangement inside the reactor vacuum vessel are outlined. The main design aspects and the corresponding design limits are reviewed, namely those related to thermomechanics, neutronics, magneto-hydrodynamics, tritium permeation and recovery. First results of safety analysis, in particular those connected with the rupture of a coolant tube in the breeder module are presented and discussed. As a conclusion, the feasibility of the concept look attractive. A problem which requires further investigation is that of the tritium self-sufficiency. It is shown that a net tritium production near to one can be obtained if berylium tiles are placed in front of the plasma, provided that they are cooled by heavy water. (orig.).

... publishing the notice in the Federal Register of March 11, 2010 (75 FR 11557). The hearing was held in... COMMISSION Woven Electric Blankets From China Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... United States is materially injured by reason of imports from China of woven electric blankets,...

Sludge blanket height (SBH) is an important parameter in the clarifier design,operation and control.Based on an overview and classification of SBH algorithms,a modifed SBH algorithm is proposed by incorporating a threshold concentration limit into a relative concentration sharp change algorithm to eliminate the disturbance of compression interfaces on the correct simulation of SBH.Pilot-scale test data are adopted to compare reliability of three SBH algorithms reported in literature and the modified SBH algorithm developed in this paper.Calculated results demonstrate that the three SBH algorithms give results with large deviation (＞50%) from measured SBH,especially under low solid flux conditions.The modified algorithm is computationally efficient and reliable in matching the measured data.It is incorporated into a onedimensional clarifier model for stable simulation of pilot-scale experimental clarifier data and into dynamic simulation of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) clarifier data.

A trade-off study of liquid metal self-cooled blankets was carried out to define the performance of these blankets and to determine the potential to operate at the maximum possible values of the performance parameters. The main parameters considered during the course of the study were the tritium breeding ratio (TBR), the blanket energy multiplication factor, the energy fraction lost to the shield, the lithium-6 enrichment in the breeder material, the total blanket thickness, the reflector material selection, and the compositions of the different blanket zones. Also, a study was carried out to assess the impact of different reactor design choices on the reactor performance parameters. The design choices include the impurity control system (limiter or divertor), the material choice for the limiter, the elimination of tritium breeding from the inboard section of tokamak reactors, and the coolant choice for the nonbreeding inboard blanket. In addition, tritium breeding benchmark calculations were performed using different transport codes and nuclear data libraries. The importance of the TBR in the blanket design motivated the benchmark calculations.

A pre-conceptual design study has been carried out for the Korean fusion demonstration reactor (K-DEMO) tokamak featured by high magnetic field (B{sub T0} = 7.4 T), R = 6.8 m, a = 2.1 m, and a steady-state operation. The design concepts of the K-DEMO blanket system considering the cooling in-vessel components with pressurized water and a solid pebble breeder are described herein. The structure of the K-DEMO blanket is toroidally subdivided into 16 inboard and 32 outboard sectors, in order to allow the vertical maintenance. Each blanket module is composed of plasma-facing first wall, layers of breeding parts, shielding and manifolds. A ceramic breeder using Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} pebbles with Be{sub 12}Ti as neuron multiplier is employed for study. MCNP neutronic simulations and thermo-hydraulic analyses are interactively performed in order to satisfy two key aspects: achieving a global Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) >1.05 and operating within the maximum allowable temperature ranges of materials.

This work represents only the second iteration of the conceptual design of a DTHR blanket; consequently, a number of issues important to a detailed blanket design have not yet been evaluated. The most critical issues identified are those of two-phase flow maldistribution, flow instabilities, flow stratification for horizontal radial inflow of boiling water, fuel rod vibrations, corrosion of clad and structural materials by high quality steam, fretting and cyclic loads. Approaches to minimizing these problems are discussed and experimental testing with flow mock-ups is recommended. These implications on a commercial blanket design are discussed and critical data needs are identified.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The objective of the proposed Phase II research effort is to develop heterogeneous (HG) blankets for improved sound reduction in aircraft structures. Phase I...

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In this project advanced acoustic blankets for improved low frequency interior noise control in aircraft will be developed and demonstrated. The improved performance...

... effective for an affiliated marketer with respect to transactions involving affiliated pipelines when an affiliated pipeline receives its blanket certificate pursuant to § 284.284. (2) Should a marketer...

Uncoated Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation (AFRSI) blankets were successfully flown on seven consecutive flights of the Space Shuttle Orbiter OV-099 (Challenger). In six of the eight locations monitored (forward windshield, forward canopy, mid-fuselage, upper wing, rudder/speed brake, and vertical tail) the AFRSI blankets performed well during the ascent and reentry exposure to the thermal and aeroacoustic environments. Several of the uncoated AFRSI blankets that sustained minor damage, such as fraying or broken threads, could be repaired by sewing or by patching with a surface coating called C-9. The chief reasons for replacing or completely coating a blanket were fabric embrittlement and fabric abrasion caused by wind erosion. This occurred in the orbiter maneuvering system (OMS) pod sidewall and the forward mid-fuselage locations.

Angra-1, Kori-2 and Krsko are nuclear power plants with the same design. However, the fuel assemblies have some differences in design due to the countries strategies and the differences in the fabrication process. The 16NGF (16x16 Next Generation Fuel) was developed by INB, KNFC and Westinghouse in order to be used in these three nuclear power plants and the 'Axial Blanket' is one of the new features for the 16NGF design. The main purpose of the Axial Blanket Optimization study is to determine which axial blanket enrichment and length would provide the better fuel cycle cost benefit. All of the calculations were performed using Gadolinium as Burnable Absorber and solid pellets type for Axial Blanket. The results indicate 1.8 w/o U235 enrichment and 8 inches length as the best option of Axial Blanket from the fuel cycle cost benefit standpoint. The economy is about 1.8%. The difference in the reload cost in the range between 1.5 and 2.6 w/o U235 enrichment and for the 6 and 8 inches length is not so significant. Due that, from the Fq limit standpoint and also for longer cycle length requirements, a higher axial blanket enrichment (2.6 w/o) and shorter length (6 inches) is recommended. (author)

A core design concept and fuel management strategy, designated breed/burn, has been evaluated for heterogeneous fast breeder reactors. In this concept internal blanket assemblies after fissile material is bred in over several incore cycles, are shuffled into a moderated radial blanket and/or central island. The most promising materials combination identified used thorium in the internal blankets (due to the superior performance of epithermal Th-U233 systems) and zirconium hydride (ZrH/sub 16/) as the moderator (because of the compact assembly and core designs it permitted).

The model results are used to determine if beam power shutdown is necessary (or not) as a result of the LOHGA accident to maintain the blanket system well below any of the thermal-hydraulic constraints imposed on the design. The results also provide boundary conditions to the detailed bin model to study the detailed temperature response of the hot blanket module structure. The results for these two cases are documented in the report.

Recent fusion power plant design studies in the US have been conducted within the ARIES project. The most recent design of Li/V blankets was conducted as part of the ARIES-RS design. The ARIES-RS fusion power plant design study is based on reversed-shear (RS) physics with a Li/V (lithium breeder and vanadium structure) blanket. The reversed-shear discharge has been documented in many large tokamak experiments. The plasma in the RS mode has a high beta, low current, and low current drive requirement. Therefore, it is an attractive physics regime for a fusion power plant. The blanket system based on a Li/V has high temperature operating capability, good tritium breeding, excellent high heat flux removal capability, long structural life time, low activation, low after heat and good safety characteristics. For these reasons, the ARIES-RS reactor study selected Li/V as the reference blanket. The combination of attractive physics and attractive blanket engineering is expected to result in a superior power plant design.

A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium based breeding blankets was developed. The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fusion/fission reactors is critical in order to maintain low concentrations. This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Extraction is complicated due to required low tritium concentration limits and because of the high affinity of tritium for the blanket. This work identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering hydrogen and deuterium through an electrolysis step at high temperatures.

A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium based breeding blankets was developed. The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fission/fusion reactors is critical in order to maintained low concentrations. This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Because of the high affinity of tritium for the blanket, extraction is complicated at the required low levels. This work identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering the hydrogen and deuterium thru an electrolysis step at high temperatures.

A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium-based breeding blankets was developed. The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fusion/fission reactors is critical in order to maintain low concentrations. This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Extraction is complicated due to required low tritium concentration limits and because of the high affinity of tritium for the blanket. This work identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering hydrogen and deuterium through an electrolysis step at high temperatures.

Simple impact craters are known to occur on all of the terrestrial planets and the morphologic expression of their ejecta blankets is a reliable indicator of their relative ages on the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and most recently for Venus. It will be crucial for the interpretation of the geology of Venus to develop a reliable means of distinguishing smaller impact landforms from volcanic collapse and explosion craters, and further to use the observed SAR characteristics of crater ejecta blankets (CEB) as a means of relative age estimation. With these concepts in mind, a study was initiated of the quantitative SAR textural characteristics of the ejecta blanket preserved at Meteor Crater, Arizona, the well studied 1.2 km diameter simple crater that formed approx. 49,000 years ago from the impact of an octahedrite bolide. While Meteor Crater was formed as the result of an impact into wind and water lain sediments and has undergone recognizable water and wind related erosion, it nonetheless represents the only well studied simple impact crater on Earth with a reasonably preserved CEB. Whether the scattering behavior of the CEB can provide an independent perspective on its preservation state and style of erosion is explored. Finally, airborne laser altimeter profiles of the microtopography of the Meteor Crater CEB were used to further quantify the subradar pizel scale topographic slopes and RMS height variations for comparisons with the scattering mechanisms computed from SAR polarimetry. A preliminary assessment was summarized of the L-band radar scattering mechanisms within the Meteor Crater CEB as derived from a NASA/JPL DC-8 SAR Polarimetry dataset acquired in 1988, and the dominant scattering behavior was compared with microtopographic data (laser altimeter profiles and 1:10,000 scale topographic maps).

The problems of generalization and integration of test, theoretical and design data relevant to liquid metal (LM) blanket are discussed in present work. First results on MHD data base and LM blanket optimization codes are presented.

An aggressive low aspect ratio scoping fusion reactor design indicated that a 2 GW(e) reactor can have a major radius as small as 2.9 m resulting in a device with competitive cost of electricity at 49 mill/kWh. One of the technology requirements of this design is a high performance high power density first wall and blanket system. A 15 MPa helium-cooled, V-alloy and stagnant LiPb breeder first wall and blanket design was utilized. Due to the low solubility of tritium in LiPb, there is the concern of tritium migration and the formation of V-hydride. To address these issues, a lithium breeder system with high solubility of tritium has been evaluated. Due to the reduction of blanket energy multiplication to 1.2, to maintain a plant Q of > 4, the major radius of the reactor has to be increased to 3.05 m. The inlet helium coolant temperature is raised to 436 C in order to meet the minimum V-alloy temperature limit everywhere in the first wall and blanket system. To enhance the first wall heat transfer, a swirl tape coolant channel design is used. The corresponding increase in friction factor is also taken into consideration. To reduce the coolant system pressure drop, the helium pressure is increased from 15 to 18 MPa. Thermal structural analysis is performed for a simple tube design. With an inside tube diameter of 1 cm and a wall thickness of 1.5 mm, the lithium breeder can remove an average heat flux and neutron wall loading of 2 and 8 MW/m(2), respectively. This reference design can meet all the temperature and material structural design limits, as well as the coolant velocity limits. Maintaining an outlet coolant temperature of 650 C, one can expect a gross closed cycle gas turbine thermal efficiency of 45%. This study further supports the use of helium coolant for high power density reactor design. When used with the low aspect ratio reactor concept a competitive fusion reactor can be projected at 51.9 mill/kWh.

Helium Cooled Lithium Lead and Helium Cooled Pebble Bed concepts have been selected as European Test Blanket Modules (TBM) for ITER. The TBM fabrication will need the assembly of six Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic steel sub-components, namely First Wall, Caps, Stiffening Grid, Breeding Units, Back Plates/Manifolds, and Attachment system. The fabrication of the First Wall requires the production of cooling channels inside 30 mm thick bended plates. For this specific component, the main issues consist of the lack of accessibility of some areas to join, the process tolerances, the dimensional stability and the resulting assembly mechanical properties. Several fabrication routes have been already investigated, which involve diffusion welding and fusion welding (electron beam, laser beam, hybrid MIG/laser). In this study, an alternative processing method was developed, based on Hot Isostatic Pressing of inner pipes within two half-shells. This method presents some major advantages over the existing ones, in particular its inherent fail–safe design due to the application of the double containment principle, the solely use of cost effective standard fabrication processes and the resulting component dimensional stability. A four channel mock-up was fabricated and analyzed to validate the fabrication procedure. The joint quality was assessed using microstructural characterization and Charpy tests. The results confirm the predicted perfect weld lines as well as the preservation of the mechanical properties. Therefore, the presented fabrication procedure is very appropriate for the fabrication of First Walls for fusion reactor blankets.

Beryllium is an excellent non-fissioning neutron multiplier for fusion breeder and fusion electric blanket applications. This report is a compilation of information related to the use of beryllium with primary emphasis on the fusion breeder application. Beryllium resources, production, fabrication, properties, radiation damage and activation are discussed. A new theoretical model for beryllium swelling is presented.

The development of the reference STARFIRE first-wall/blanket design involved numerous trade-offs in the materials selection process for the breeding material, coolant structure, neutron multiplier, and reflector. The major parameters and properties that impact materials selection and design criteria are reviewed.

Casini, G. (Commission of the European Communities, Ispra (Italy). Joint Research Centre)

1989-04-01

The Pb-17Li/water-cooled blanket is one of the concepts being developed in Europe for testing in NET (Next European Torus). JRC-Ispra is strongly involved in this development. This paper describes the impact of the latest experimental results on the blanket design. The points considered are: breeder operating temperature and thermomechanical design: experiments on corrosion with steel 316L and liquid metal embrittlement tests have provided upper and lower limits for the breeder operating temperature (280-400/sup 0/C); tritium recovery from the breeder and permeation rate to the coolant: Ispra measurements indicate that solubility and diffusivity of hydrogen in Pb-17Li are lower as compared with the previous values used in blanket tritium analyses. The impact of these results on the design of the tritium recovery system is discussed; accident analyses: the experiments in progress at Ispra on the Pb-17Li/water interaction are reviewed and their application to a coolant pipe break accident is shown. (orig.).

Highlights: • We proposed a water cooled ceramic breeder blanket with superheated steam. • Superheated steam is generated at the first wall and the front part of breeder zone. • Superheated steam has negligible impact on neutron absorption by coolant in FW and improves TBR. • The superheated steam at higher temperature can improve thermal efficiency. - Abstract: China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is an ITER-like superconducting tokamak reactor. Its major radius is 5.7 m, minor radius is 1.6 m and elongation ratio is 1.8. Its mission is to achieve 50–200 MW of fusion power, 30–50% of duty time factor, and tritium breeding ratio not less than 1.2 to ensure the self-sufficiency. As one of the breeding blanket candidates for CFETR, a water cooled breeder blanket with superheated steam is proposed and its conceptual design is being carried out. In this design, sub-cooling water at 265 °C under the pressure of 7 MPa is fed into cooling plates in breeding zone and is heated up to 285 °C with saturated steam generated, and then this steam is pre-superheated up to 310 °C in first wall (FW), final, the pre-superheated steam coming from several blankets is fed into the other one blanket to superheat again up to 517 °C. Due to low density of superheated steam, it has negligible impact on neutron absorption by coolant in FW so that the high energy neutrons entering into breeder zone moderated by water in cooling plate help enhance tritium breeding by {sup 6}Li(n,α)T reaction. Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebbles and Be{sub 12}Ti pebbles are chosen as tritium breeder and neutron multiplier respectively, because Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} and Be{sub 12}Ti are expected to have better chemical stability and compatibility with water in high temperature. However, Be{sub 12}Ti may lead to a reduction in tritium breeding ratio (TBR). Furthermore, a spot of sintered Be plate is used to improve neutron multiplying capacity in a multi-layer structure. As one alternative option

First wall and cooling plates are considered the most important structural parts of the EU HCPB blanketconcept which is based on the use of ferritic-martensitic steel as structural material, Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} pebbles as breeder material, beryllium pebbles as neutron multiplier, and 8 MPa helium as coolant. Both the first wall and cooling plates contain complex arrays of internal He coolant channels. The favourite manufacturing technology is diffusion welding of two halves of plates applying the hot isostatic pressure (HIP) welding method that allows uniform distribution of the pressure acting on the outer surfaces of the welding objects. The HIP experiment was started with small MANET specimens with internal coolant channels. The objective of this work is to investigate the appropriate HIP technique, boundary conditions, and parameters in order to achieve good mechanical properties of the welding joints as well as to achieve a transition to test specimens of larger dimensions.

To meet the technical objectives of the ITER extended performance phase (EPP) an advanced tritium breeding lithium/vanadium (Li/V) blanket was developed by two home teams (US and RF). The design is based on the use of liquid Li as coolant and breeder and vanadium alloy (V-Cr-Ti) as structural material. The first wall is coated with a beryllium protection layer. Beryllium is also integrated in the blanket for neutron multiplication and improved shielding. The use of tungsten carbide in the primary shield and in vacuum vessel provides adequate protection for toroidal field coils. A self-healing electrical insulator in the form of CaO or AlN coating layer is utilized to reduce MHD pressure drop in the system. To have a self-consistent ITER design, liquid metal cooling of the divertor and vacuum vessel is considered as well. (orig.) 16 refs.

The {sup 3}He target/blanket (T/B) preconceptual design for the 3/8-Goal facility is based on a 1000-MeV, 200-mA accelerator to produce a high-intensity proton beam that is expanded and then strikes one of two T/B modules. Each module consists of a centralized neutron source made of tungsten and lead, a proton beam backstop region made of zirconium and lead, and a moderator made of D{sub 2}O. Helium-3 gas is circulated through the neutron source region and the blanket to create tritium through neutron capture. The gas is continually processed to extract the tritium with an online separation process.

A review of the experimental and conceptual design work in progress at JRC-Ispra to investigate the feasibility of the eutectic Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/ as a liquid breeder for experimental power reactors is presented. Results of recent measurements to implement the data base of this material are given in the following areas: physical parameters, hydrogen solubility and recovery, chemical reactivity with air and water, compatibility with steel. The studies carried out on blanketconcepts for the INTOR (International Tokamak Reactor)/NET (Next European Torus) projects are outlined and discussed.

A He-V-Li blanket design was developed as a candidate for the U.S. fusion demonstration power plant. This paper presents an 18 MPa helium-cooled, lithium breeder, V-alloy design that can be coupled to the Brayton cycle with a gross efficiency of 46%. The critical issue of designing to high gas pressure and the compatibility between helium impurities and V-alloy are addressed.

Based on preliminary studies at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), we believe the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) could be upgraded for operation in a hot-ion Kelley mode in a portion of the central cell to provide fusion nuclear engineering data, particularly blanket technology information, by the end of the decade. Cost of this mode of operation would be modest compared with that of the other fusion devices considered in the last few years for such purposes.

Global warming might change the hydrology of upland blanket peats in Britain. We have therefore studied in laboratory experiments the impact of drought on peat from the North Pennines of the UK. Runoff was dominated by surface and near-surface flow; flow decreased rapidly with depth and differed from one type of cover to another. Infiltration depended on the intensity of rain, and runoff responded rapidly to rain, with around 50% of rainwater emerging as overland flow. Drought changed the str...

The main penetrations (supports and piping) through multilayer insulation systems for cryogenic tanks have been previously addressed by heat flow measurements. Smaller penetrations due to fasteners and attachments are now experimentally investigated. The use of small pins or plastic garment tag fasteners to each the handling and construction of multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets goes back many years. While it has long been understood that penetrations and other discontinuities degrade the performance of the MLI blanket, quantification of this degradation has generally been lumped into gross performance multipliers (often called degradation factors or scale factors). Small penetrations contribute both solid conduction and radiation heat transfer paths through the blanket. The conduction is down the stem of the structural element itself while the radiation is through the hole formed during installation of the pin or fastener. Analytical models were developed in conjunction with MLI perforation theory and Fouriers Law. Results of the analytical models are compared to experimental testing performed on a 10 layer MLI blanket with approximately 50 small plastic pins penetrating the test specimen. The pins were installed at 76-mm spacing inches in both directions to minimize the compounding of thermal effects due to localized compression or lateral heat transfer. The testing was performed using a liquid nitrogen boil-off calorimeter (Cryostat-100) with the standard boundary temperatures of 293 K and 78 K. Results show that the added radiation through the holes is much more significant than the conduction down the fastener. The results are shown to be in agreement with radiation theory for perforated films.

A model problem is considered for a feasibility study concerning controlled MHD flow in the blanket of a Tokamak nuclear reactor. The fundamental equations for the steady flow of an incompressible viscous fluid in a uniform transverse magnetic field are solved in rectangular coordinates, in the zero-induction approximation and with negligible induced currents. A numerical solution obtained for a set of appropriate boundary constraints establishes the conditions under which no stagnation zones will be formed.

It is shown that self-cooled liquid metal blankets are feasible only with electrically insulating coatings at the duct walls. The requirements on the insulation properties are estimated by simple analytical models. Candidate insulator materials are selected based on insulating properties and thermodynamic consideration. Different fabrication technologies for insulating coatings are described. The status of the knowledge on the most crucial feasibility issue, the degradation of the resisivity under irradiation, is reviewed.

To address a concern about a potential maldistribution of coolant flow through an APT blanket module under low flow near RHR conditions, a scoping study of downflow mixed convection in parallel channels was conducted. Buoyancy will adversely effect the flow distribution in module bins with downflow and non-uniform power distributions. This study consists of two parts: a simple analytical model of flow in a two channel network, and a lumped eleven channel FLOWTRAN-TF model of a front lateral Row-1 blanket module bin. Results from both models indicate that the concern about coolant flow in a vertical model being diverted away from high power regions by buoyancy is warranted. The FLOWTRAN-TF model predicted upflow (i.e., a flow reversal) through several of the high power channels, under some low flow conditions. The transition from the regime with downflow in all channels to a regime with upflow in some channels was abrupt.

'Fusion for Energy' (F4E) develops designs and implements the European Test Blanket Systems (TBS) in ITER - Helium-Cooled Lithium-Lead (HCLL) and Helium-Cooled Pebble-Bed (HCPB). Safety demonstration is an essential element for the integration of TBS in ITER and accident analyses are one of its critical segments. A systematic approach to the accident analyses had been acquired under the F4E contract on TBS safety analyses. F4E technical requirements and AMEC and INL efforts resulted in the development of a comprehensive methodology for fusion breeding blanket accident analyses. It addresses the specificity of the breeding blankets design, materials and phenomena and at the same time is consistent with the one already applied to ITER accident analyses. Methodology consists of several phases. At first the reference scenarios are selected on the base of FMEA studies. In the second place elaboration of the accident analyses specifications we use phenomena identification and ranking tables to identify the requirements to be met by the code(s) and TBS models. Thus the limitations of the codes are identified and possible solutions to be built into the models are proposed. These include among others the loose coupling of different codes or code versions in order to simulate multi-fluid flows and phenomena. The code selection and issue of the accident analyses specifications conclude this second step. Furthermore the breeding blanket and ancillary systems models are built on. In this work challenges met and solutions used in the development of both MELCOR and RELAP5 codes models of HCLL and HCPB TBSs will be shared. To continue the developed models are qualified by comparison with finite elements analyses, by code to code comparison and sensitivity studies. Finally, the qualified models are used for the execution of the accident analyses of specific scenario. When possible the methodology phases will be illustrated in the paper by limited number of tables and

Screen-offset printing combines screen-printing on a silicone blanket with transference of the print from the blanket to a substrate. The blanket absorbs organic solvents in the ink, and therefore, the ink does not disperse through the material. This prevents blurring and allows fine patterns with widths of a few tens of micrometres to be produced. However, continuous printing deteriorates the pattern’s shape, which may be a result of decay in the absorption abilities of the blanket. Thus, we have developed a new technique for refreshing the blanket by substituting high-boiling-point solvents present on the blanket surface with low-boiling-point solvents. We analyse the efficacy of this technique, and demonstrate continuous fine pattern formation for 100 screen-offset printing processes.

A prospective observational study was conducted in a male orphanage to find out the prevalence of enterobiasis and its incidence after blanket chemotherapy using mebendazole. We found that the prevalence of enterobiasis was 28.9%. The incidence density of enterobiasis after blanket chemotherapy was 379.82 per 1,000 person-years which was quite high. We suggest that blanket chemotherapy should be repeated at every 6 months interval to control enterobiasis in orphanages.

One of the potentially attractive applications of controlled thermonuclear fusion is the fission--fusion hybrid concept. In this report we examine the possible role of the hybrid as a fissile fuel producer. We parameterize the advantages of the concept in terms of the performance of the fusion device and the breeding blanket and discuss some of the more troublesome features of existing design studies. The analysis suggests that hybrids based on deuterium--tritium (D--T) fusion devices are unlikely to be economically attractive and that they present formidable blanket technology problems. We suggest an alternative approach based on a semicatalyzed deuterium--deuterium (D--D) fusion reactor and a molten salt blanket. This concept is shown to emphasize the desirable features of the hybrid, to have considerably greater economic potential, and to mitigate many of the disadvantages of D--T-based systems.

One key objective of physics teaching is the promotion of conceptual understanding. Additionally, the critical faculty is universally seen as a central quality to be developed in students. In recent years, however, teaching objectives have placed stronger emphasis on skills than on concepts, and there is a risk that conceptual structuring may be disregarded. The question therefore arises as to whether it is possible for students to develop a critical stance without a conceptual basis, leading in turn to the issue of possible links between the development of conceptual understanding and critical attitude. In an in-depth study to address these questions, the participants were seven prospective physics and chemistry teachers. The methodology included a ‘teaching interview’, designed to observe participants’ responses to limited explanations of a given phenomenon and their ensuing intellectual satisfaction or frustration. The explanatory task related to the physics of how a survival blanket works, requiring a full and appropriate system analysis of the blanket. The analysis identified five recurrent lines of reasoning and linked these to judgments of adequacy of explanation, based on metacognitive/affective (MCA) factors, intellectual (dis)satisfaction and critical stance. Recurrent themes and MCA factors were used to map the intellectual dynamics that emerged during the interview process. Participants’ critical attitude was observed to develop in strong interaction with their comprehension of the topic. The results suggest that most students need to reach a certain level of conceptual mastery before they can begin to question an oversimplified explanation, although one student’s replies show that a different intellectual dynamics is also possible. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of these findings for future research and for decisions concerning teaching objectives and the design of learning environments.

Current status of the designs of the ITER breeding blanket and DEMO blankets is introduced placing emphasis on the breeding materials selection and related issues. The former design is based on the up-to-date design activities, as of October 1997, being performed jointly by Joint Central Team (JCT) and Home Teams (HT`s), while the latter is based on the DEMO blanket test module designs being proposed by each Party at the TBWG (Test Blanket Working Group) meetings. (J.P.N.)

Highlights: • Nuclear analysis was performed on detailed CAD models placed in a 40 degree model of ITER. • The regions examined include BM09, the upper ELM coil region (BM11–13), the neutral beam (NB) region (BM13–16), and BM18. • The results show that VV nuclear heating exceeds limits in the NB and upper ELM coil regions. • The results also show that the level of He production in parts of BM18 exceeds limits. • These calculations are being used to modify the design of the ITER blanket modules. - Abstract: In the ITER design, the blanket modules (BM) provide thermal and nuclear shielding for the vacuum vessel (VV), magnets, and other components. We used the CAD based DAG-MCNP5 transport code to analyze detailed models inserted into a 40 degree partially homogenized ITER global model. The regions analyzed include BM09, BM16 near the heating neutral beam injection (HNB) region, BM11–13 near the upper ELM coil region, and BM18. For the BM16 HNB region, the VV nuclear heating behind the NB region exceeds the design limit by up to 80%. For the BM11–13 region, the nuclear heating of the VV exceeds the design limit by up to 45%. For BM18, the results show that He production does not meet the limit necessary for re-welding. The results presented in this work are being used by the ITER Organization Blanket and Tokamak Integration groups to modify the BM design in the cases where limits are exceeded.

In D-T burning reactors such as International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), an internal access welding/cutting of blanket cooling pipe with bend sections is inevitably required because of spatial constraint due to nuclear shield and available port opening space. For this purpose, internal access pipe welding/cutting/inspection tools for manifolds and branch pipes are being developed according to the agreement of the ITER R and D task (T329). A design concept of welding/cutting processing head with a flexible optical fiber has been developed and the basic feasibility studies on welding, cutting and rewelding are performed using stainless steel plate (SS316L). In the same way, a design concept of inspection head with a non-destructive inspection probe (including a leak-testing probe) has been developed and the basic characteristic tests are performed using welded stainless steel pipes. In this report, the details of welding/cutting/inspection heads for manifolds and branch pipes are described, together with the basic experiment results relating to the welding/cutting and inspection. In addition, details of a composite type optical fiber, which can transmit both the high-power YAG laser and visible rays, is described. (author)

The effects of heterogeneity on resonance self-shielding are examined with particular emphasis on the blanket region of the fast breeder reactor and on its dominant reaction--capture in /sup 238/U. The results, however, apply equally well to scattering resonances, to other isotopes (fertile, fissile and structural species) and to other environments, so long as the underlying assumptions of narrow resonance theory apply. The heterogeneous resonance integral is first cast into a modified homogeneous form involving the ratio of coolant-to-fuel fluxes. A generalized correlation (useful in its own right in many other applications) is developed for this ratio, using both integral transport and collision probability theory to infer the form of correlation, and then relying upon Monte Carlo calculations to establish absolute values of the correlation coefficients. It is shown that a simple linear prescription can be developed for the flux ratio as a function of only fuel optical thickness and the fraction of the slowing-down source generated by the coolant. This in turn permitted derivation of a new equivalence theorem relating the heterogeneous self-shielding factor to the homogeneous self-shielding factor at a modified value of the background scattering cross section per absorber nucleus. A simple version of this relation is developed and used to show that heterogeneity has a negligible effect on the calculated blanket breeding ratio in fast reactors.

The work is motivated by the design of liquid-metal blankets for nuclear fusion reactors. Mixed convection in a downward flow in a vertical duct with strong contant-rate heating of one wall (the Grashof number up to 1012) and strong transverse magnetic field (the Hartmann number up to 104) is considered. It is found that in an infinitely long duct the flow is dominated by exponentially growing elevator modes having the form of a combination of ascending and descending jets. An analytical solution approximating the growth rate of the modes is derived. Analogous flows in finite-length pipes and ducts are analyzed using the high-resolution numerical simulations. The results of the recent experiments are reproduced and explained. It is found that the flow evolves in cycles consisting of periods of exponential growth and breakdowns of the jets. The resulting high-amplitude fluctuations of temperature is a feature potentially dangerous for operation of a reactor blanket. Financial support was provided by the US NSF (Grant CBET 1232851).

The oxidation of oil starts, in general, from the penetration of atmospheric oxygen into oil. Inhibition of the vigorous oxidation of oil at deep-frying temperature under carbon dioxide flow, by disrupting the contact between oil and air, was first demonstrated using oil in a round bottom flask. Next, the minimum carbon dioxide flow rate necessary to blanket 4 L of frying oil in an electric fryer (surface area 690 cm(2)) installed with nonwoven fabric cover, was found to be 40 L/h. Then deep-frying of potato was done accordingly; immediately after deep-frying, an aluminum cover was placed on top of the nonwoven fabric cover to prevent the loss of carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide flow was shut off. In conclusion, the oxidation of oil both at deep-frying temperature and during standing was remarkably inhibited by carbon dioxide blanketing at a practical flow rate and volume. Under the deep-frying conditions employed in this study, the increase in polar compound content was reduced to half of that of the control.

The effect of reactor size on the neutronic and economic performance of LMFBR blankets driven by radially-power-flattened cores has been investigated using both simple models and state-of-the-art computer methods. Reactor power ratings in the range 250 to 3000 MW(e) were considered. Correlations for economic breakeven and optimum irradiation times and blanket thicknesses have been developed for batch-irradiated blankets. It is shown that a given distance from the core-blanket interface the fissile buildup rate per unit volume remains very nearly constant in the radial blanket as (radially-power-flattened, constant-height) core size increases. As a consequence, annual revenue per blanket assembly, and breakeven and optimum irradiation times and optimum blanket dimensions, are the same for all reactor sizes. It is also shown that the peripheral core fissile enrichment, hence neutron leakage spectra, of the (radially-power-flattened, constant-height) cores remains essentially constant as core size increases. Coupled with the preceding observations, this insures that radial blanket breeding performance in demonstration-size LMFBR units will be a good measure of that in much larger commercial LMFBR's.

Discussion about concept in industrial companies. A method for mapping of managerial concept in specific area is shown......Discussion about concept in industrial companies. A method for mapping of managerial concept in specific area is shown...

Full Text Available The effect of permethrin-treated Africa University (AU mosquito blankets on susceptible female Anopheles gambiae sensu lato mosquitoes was studied under laboratory conditions at Africa University Campus in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Wash resistance (ability to retain an effective dose that kills ≥80% of mosquitoes after a number of washes and repellence (ability to prevent ≥80% of mosquito bites properties were studied. The AU blankets were wash resistant when 100% mortality was recorded up to 20 washes, declining to 90% after 25 washes. Untreated AU blankets did not cause any mortality on mosquitoes. However, mosquito repellence was 96%, 94%, 97.9%, 87%, 85% and 80.7% for treated AU blankets washed 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 times, respectively. Mosquito repellence was consistently above 80% from 0-25 washes. In conclusion, AU blankets washed 25 times were effective in repelling and killing An. gambiae sl mosquitoes under laboratory conditions.

The authors developed a simulator for the remote maintenance system of the ITER blanket using a general 3D robotic simulation software, ENVISION. The simulator is connected to the control system of the manipulator, which was developed as part of the blanket maintenance system during the Engineering Design Activity (EDA), and can reconstruct the positions of the manipulator and blanket module using position data transmitted from motors through a LAN. In addition, it can provide virtual visual information (e.g., about the interface structures behind the blanket module) by making the module transparent on the screen. It can also be used for confirming a maintenance sequence before the actual operation. The simulator will be modified further, with addition of other necessary functions, and will finally serve as a prototype of the actual simulator for the blanket remote handling system, which will be procured as part of an in-kind contribution.

Highlights: • Seed-and-blanket (S and B) fuel blocks are proposed for a small block-type HTR. • S and B fuel blocks consist of a seed region (UO{sub 2}) and a blanket region (ThO{sub 2}). • The neutronic performance of S and B fuel blocks are analyzed using SCALE 6. • Three S and B fuel blocks with a reactivity swing of 0.1 Δk are recommended. • S and B fuel blocks are compared with thorium MOX fuel blocks. - Abstract: In order to utilize thorium in high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTRs), the concept of seed-and-blanket (S and B) fuel block is introduced into the U-Battery, which is a long-life block-type HTR with a thermal power of 20 MWth. A S and B fuel block consists of a seed region with uranium in the center, and a blanket region with thorium. The neutronic performance, such as the multiplication factor, conversion ratio and reactivity swing, of a typical S and B fuel block was investigated by SCALE 6.0 by parametric analysis of the composition parameters and geometric parameters of the fuel block for the U-Battery application. Since the purpose of U-235 in the S and B fuel block is to ignite the fission reactions in the fuel block, 20% enriched uranium is recommended for the S and B fuel block. When the ratio of the number of carbon to heavy metal atoms changes with the geometric parameters of the fuel block in the range of 200–250, the reactivity swing reaches very small values. Furthermore, for a reactivity swing of 0.1 Δk during 10 effective full power years, three configurations with 36, 54 and 78 UO{sub 2} fuel rods are recommended for the application of the U-Battery. The comparison analysis of the S and B fuel block with the Th/U MOX fuel block shows that the former has a longer lifetime and a lower reactivity swing.

Future fusion power plants based on the deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel cycle will be required to breed the T fuel via neutron reactions with lithium, which will be incorporated in a breeding blanket that surrounds the fusion source. Recent work by LLNL proposed the used of liquid Li as the breeder in an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. Subsequently, an LDRD was initiated to develop alternatives ternary alloy liquid metal breeders that have reduced chemical reactivity with water and air compared to pure Li. Part of the work plan was to experimentally investigate the phase diagrams of ternary alloys. Of particular interest was measurement of the melt temperature, which must be low enough to be compatible with the temperature limits of the steel used in the construction of the chamber and heat transfer system.

Full Text Available In 1966, tritiated water was injected at five sites at depths between 25 and 100 cm into blanket bog at Moor House National Nature Reserve. The distribution of tritium activity on a logarithmically spaced grid around these sites was sampled in 1990, 24 years after placement. The proportions of tritium accounted for ranged from 80 % for the injection at 100 cm deep, to 20 % for the injection at 25 cm deep. Both 80 and 20 should be considered as ± 10 %. Results imply that diffusion close to the injection may have played a part in movement of tritium; evapotranspiration is not inconsistent with the losses inversely proportional to depth of placement; but the main process of movement is probably bulk (mass flow of water through the peat.

Anaerobic treatment of pre-settled cosmetic wastewater in batch and continuous experiments has been investigated. Biodegradability tests showed high COD and solid removal efficiencies (about 70%), being the hydrolysis of solids the limiting step of the process. Continuous treatment was carried out in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor. High COD and TSS removal efficiencies (up to 95% and 85%, respectively) were achieved over a wide range of organic load rate (from 1.8 to 9.2 g TCOD L{sup -1} day{sup -1}). Methanogenesis inhibition was observed in batch assays, which can be predicted by means of a Haldane-based inhibition model. Both COD and solid removal were modelled by Monod and pseudo-first order models, respectively.

The focus of this LDRD was to explore potential Li alloys that would meet the tritium breeding and blanket cooling requirements but with reduced chemical reactivity, while maintaining the other attractive features of pure Li breeder/coolant. In other fusion approaches (magnetic fusion energy or MFE), 17Li- 83Pb alloy is used leveraging Pb’s ability to maintain high TBR while lowering the levels of lithium in the system. Unfortunately this alloy has a number of potential draw-backs. Due to the high Pb content, this alloy suffers from very high average density, low tritium solubility, low system energy, and produces undesirable activation products in particular polonium. The criteria considered in the selection of a tritium breeding alloy are described in the following section.

Full Text Available Using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS as the source of silica, fibre reinforced silica aerogels were synthesized via fast ambient pressure drying using methanol (MeOH, trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS, ammonium fluoride (NH4F, and hexane. The molar ratio of TEOS/MeOH/(COOH2/NH4F was kept constant at 1 : 38 : 3.73 × 10−5 : 0.023 and the gel was allowed to form inside the highly porous meta-aramid fibrous batting. The wet gel surface was chemically modified (silylation process using various concentrations of TMCS in hexane in the range of 1 to 20% by volume. The fibre reinforced silica aerogel blanket was obtained subsequently through atmospheric pressure drying. The aerogel blanket samples were characterized by density, thermal conductivity, hydrophobicity (contact angle, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The radiant heat resistance of the aerogel blankets was examined and compared with nonaerogel blankets. It has been observed that, compared to the ordinary nonaerogel blankets, the aerogel blankets showed a 58% increase in the estimated burn injury time and thus ensure a much better protection from heat and fire hazards. The effect of varying the concentration of TMCS on the estimated protection time has been examined. The improved thermal stability and the superior thermal insulation of the flexible aerogel blankets lead to applications being used for occupations that involve exposure to hazards of thermal radiation.

Highlights: • We perform neutronic calculations for the preliminary DCLL Blanket design. • We study the tritium breeding capability of the reactor. • We determine the nuclear heating in the main components. • We verify if the shielding of the TF coil is maintained. - Abstract: In the frame of the newly established EUROfusion WPBB Project for the period 2014–2018, four breeding blanket options are being investigated to be used in the fusion power demonstration plant DEMO. CIEMAT is leading the development of the conceptual design of the Dual Coolant Lithium Lead, DCLL, breeding blanket. The primary role of the blanket is of energy extraction, tritium production, and radiation shielding. With this aim the DCLL uses LiPb as primary coolant, tritium breeder and neutron multiplier and Eurofer as structural material. Focusing on the achievement of the fundamental neutronic responses a preliminary blanket model has been designed. Thus detailed 3D neutronic models of the whole blanket modules have been generated, arranged in a specific DCLL segmentation and integrated in the generic DEMO model. The initial design has been studied to demonstrate its viability. Thus, the neutronic behaviour of the blanket and of the shield systems in terms of tritium breeding capabilities, power generation and shielding efficiency has been assessed in this paper. The results demonstrate that the primary nuclear performances are already satisfactory at this preliminary stage of the design, having obtained the tritium self-sufficiency and an adequate shielding.

Highlights: • Experiment in preparation for the qualification of Breeding Blanket technologies in HELOKA facility is proposed. • Experimental capabilities, instrumentation of the mock-up and experimental program are presented. • Design and manufacturing of the mock-up is described. • Design of modular attachment system to obtain different stress levels and distributions on the mock-up is discussed. - Abstract: An experimental program based on a First Wall mock-up is presented as preparation for the qualification of breeding blanket mock-ups at high heat flux in the Helium Loop Karlsruhe (HELOKA) facility. Two objectives of the experimental program have been defined: testing of the experimental setup and a first validation of FE models. The design and manufacturing of mock-up representing about 1/3 of the heated zone of an ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) First Wall is discussed. A modular attachment system concept has been developed for the fixation of the mock-up in order to be able to generate different stress distributions and levels on the plate, which is confirmed by thermo-mechanical analyses. The HELOKA facility is able to provide a TBM relevant helium cooling system and to generate the required surface heat flux by an electron beam gun. An installed IR camera can be used to measure the temperature distribution on the surface.

SYCOMORE, a fusion reactor system code based on a modular approach is under development at CEA. Within this framework, this paper describes the relevant sub-modules which have been implemented to model the main outputs of the breeding blanket and shield block of the system code: tritium breeding ratio, peak energy deposition in toroidal field coils, reactor layout and power deposition, blanket pressure drops and materials inventory. Blanket and shield requirements are calculated by several sub-modules: the blanket assembly and layout sub-module, the neutronic sub-module, the blanket design sub-module (thermal hydraulic and thermo-mechanic pre-design tool). A power flow module has also been developed which is directly linked to the blanket thermo-dynamic performances, which is not described in this paper. For the blanket assembly and layout and the blanket module design sub-modules, explicit analytic models have been developed and implemented; for the neutronic sub-module neural networks that replicate the results of appropriate simplified 1D and 2D neutronic simulations have been built. Presently, relevant model for the Helium Cooled Lithium Lead is available. Sub-modules have been built in a way that they can run separately or coupled into the breeding blanket and shield module in order to be integrated in SYCOMORE. In the paper, the objective and main input/output parameters of each sub-module are reported and relevant models discussed. The application to previous studied reactor models (PPCS model AB, DEMO-HCLL 2006–2007 studies) is also presented.

Full Text Available Heterogeneous loading of minor actinides in radial blankets is a potential solution to implement minor actinides transmutation in fast reactors. However, to compensate for the lower flux level experienced by the blankets, the fraction of minor actinides to be loaded in the blankets must be increased to maintain acceptable performances. This severely increases the decay heat and neutron source of the blanket assemblies, both before and after irradiation, by more than an order of magnitude in the case of neutron source for instance. We propose here to implement an optimization methodology of the blankets design with regards to various parameters such as the local spectrum or the mass to be loaded, with the objective of minimizing the final neutron source of the spent assembly while maximizing the transmutation performances of the blankets. In a first stage, an analysis of the various contributors to long- and short-term neutron and gamma source is carried out whereas in a second stage, relevant estimators are designed for use in the effective optimization process, which is done in the last step. A comparison with core calculations is finally done for completeness and validation purposes. It is found that the use of a moderated spectrum in the blankets can be beneficial in terms of final neutron and gamma source without impacting minor actinides transmutation performances compared to more energetic spectrum that could be achieved using metallic fuel for instance. It is also confirmed that, if possible, the use of hydrides as moderating material in the blankets is a promising option to limit the total minor actinides inventory in the fuel cycle. If not, it appears that focus should be put upon an increased residence time for the blankets rather than an increase in the acceptable neutron source for handling and reprocessing.

In view of the ITER conceptual design review, the design of the ancillary systems of the European test blanket systems presented in [1] has been updated and made consistent with the ITER requirements for the present design phase. Europe is developing two concepts of TBM, the helium cooled lithium lead (HCLL) and the helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) one, having in common the cooling media, pressurized helium at 8 MPa [2]. TBS, namely helium cooling system (HCS), coolant purification system (CPS), lead lithium loop and tritium extraction/removal system (TES–TRS) have the purpose to cool down the TBM and to remove tritium to be driven to TEP from breeder and coolant. These systems are placed in port cell 16 (PC#16), chemical and volume control system (CVCS) area and tritium building. Starting from the pre-conceptual design developed in the past, more mature technical interfaces with the ITER facility have been consolidated and iterative design activities were performed to comply with design requirements/specifications requested by IO to conclude the conceptual design phase. In this paper the present status of design of the TBS is presented together with the preliminary integration in ITER areas.

Conceptual design of breeding blanket has been discussed during the CDA (Conceptual Design Activities) of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). Structural concept of breeding blanket is based on box structure integrated with first wall and shield, which consists of three coolant manifolds for first wall, breeding and shield regions. The first wall must have cooling channels to remove surface heat flux and nuclear heating. The box structure includes plates to form the manifolds and stiffening ribs to withstand enormous electromagnetic load, coolant pressure and blanket internal (purge gas) pressure. A 1/2-scale partial model of the blanket box structure for the outboard side module near midplane is manufactured to estimate the fabrication technology, i.e. diffusion bonding by HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing) and EBW (Electron Beam Welding) procedure. Fabrication accuracy is a key issue to manufacture first wall panel because bending deformation during HIP may not be small for a large size structure. Data on bending deformation during HIP was obtained by preliminary manufacturing of HIP elements. For the shield structure, it is necessary to reduce the welding strain and residual stress of the weldment to establish the fabrication procedure. Optimal shape of the parts forming the manifolds, welding locations and welding sequence have been investigated. In addition, preliminary EBW tests have been performed in order to select the EBW conditions, and fundamental data on built-up shield have been obtained. Especially, welding deformation by joining the first wall panel to the shield has been measured, and total deformation to build-up shield by EBW has been found to be smaller than 2 mm. Consequently, the feasibility of fabrication technologies has been successfully demonstrated for a 1m-scaled box structure including the first wall with cooling channels by means of HIP, EBW and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas arc)-welding.

Preliminary analysis and calculation of liquid metal Li17Pb83 magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop in the blanket for the FDS have been presented to evaluate the significance of MHD effects on the thermal-hydraulic design of the blanket. To decrease the liquid metal MHD pressure drop, Al2O3 is applied as an electronically insulated coating onto the inner surface of the ducts. The requirement for the insulated coating to reduce the additional leakage pressure drop caused by coating imperfections has been analyzed. Finally, the total liquid metal MHD pressure drop and magnetic pump power in the FDS blanket have been given.

Full Text Available The discovery nearly two decades ago of a 90 km-diameter impact crater below the lower Chesapeake Bay has gone unnoted by the general public because to date all published literature on the subject has described it as "buried". To the contrary, evidence is presented here that the so-called "upland deposits" that blanket ∼5000 km2 of the U.S. Middle-Atlantic Coastal Plain (M-ACP display morphologic, lithologic, and stratigraphic features consistent with their being ejecta from the 35.4 Ma Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure (CBIS and absolutely inconsistent with the prevailing belief that they are of fluvial origin. Specifically supporting impact origin are the facts that (i a 95 %-pure iron ore endemic to the upland deposits of southern Maryland, eastern Virginia, and the District of Columbia has previously been proven to be impactoclastic in origin, (ii this iron ore welds together a small percentage of well-rounded quartzite pebbles and cobbles of the upland deposits into brittle sheets interpretable as "spall plates" created in the interference-zone of the CBIS impact, (iii the predominantly non-welded upland gravels have long ago been shown to be size sorted with an extreme crater-centric gradient far too large to have been the work of rivers, but well explained as atmospheric size-sorted interference-zone ejecta, (iv new evidence is provided here that ~60 % of the non-welded quartzite pebbles and cobbles of the (lower lying gravel member of the upland deposits display planar fractures attributable to interference-zone tensile waves, (v the (overlying loam member of the upland deposits is attributable to base-surge-type deposition, (vi several exotic clasts found in a debris flow topographically below the upland deposits can only be explained as jetting-phase crater ejecta, and (vii an allogenic granite boulder found among the upland deposits is deduced to have been launched into space and sculpted by hypervelocity air friction

A prototype ({approx}900{sup H} x 1700{sup W} x 350{sup T} mm) of the ITER shielding blanket module has been fabricated following the previous successful fabrication of a small-scale ({approx}500{sup H} x 400{sup W} x 150{sup T} mm) and mid-scale ({approx}800{sup H} x 500{sup W} x 350{sup T} mm) mock-ups. This prototype incorporates most of key design features essential to the fabrication of the ITER shielding blanket module such as 1) the first wall heat sink made of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dispersion strengthened Cu (DSCu) with built-in SS316L coolant tubes bonded to a massive SS316LN shield block, 2) toroidally curved first wall with a radius of 5106 mm while straight in poloidal direction, 3) coolant channels oriented in poloidal direction in the first wall and in toroidal direction in the shield block, 4) the first wall coolant channel routing to avoid the interference with the front access holes, 5) coolant channels drilled through the forged SS316LN-IG shield block, and 6) four front access holes of 30 mm in diameter penetrated through the first wall and the shield block. For the joining method, especially for the first wall/side wall parts and the shield block, the solid HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing) process was applied. It is difficult to apply conventional joining methods such as field welding, brazing, explosion bonding and mechanical one-axial diffusion bonding to a wide area bonding because sufficient mechanical strengths can not be obtained and excessive deformations occurs. In order to solve these fabrication issues, HIP bonding was applied. The first wall stainless steel (SS) coolant tubes of 10 mm in inner diameter and l mm in thickness were sandwiched by semi-circular grooved DSCu plates at the first wall and the front region of the side wall, and by semi-circular grooved SS plates at the back region of the side wall. After assembling of these first wall/side wall parts with the shield block, they were simultaneously bonded by single step HIP in order to

The objective of this paper is to propose a simple tool to estimate the absorption vs. transmission loss contributions of a multilayered blanket unbounded in a double panel structure and thus guide its optimization. The normal incidence airborne sound transmission loss of the double panel structure, without structure-borne connections, is written in terms of three main contributions; (i) sound transmission loss of the panels, (ii) sound transmission loss of the blanket and (iii) sound absorption due to multiple reflections inside the cavity. The method is applied to four different blankets frequently used in automotive and aeronautic applications: a non-symmetric multilayer made of a screen in sandwich between two porous layers and three symmetric porous layers having different pore geometries. It is shown that the absorption behavior of the blanket controls the acoustic behavior of the treatment at low and medium frequencies and its transmission loss at high frequencies. Acoustic treatment having poor sound ...

The Chinese Fusion Engineering Tokamak Reactor (CFETR) is an important intermediate device between ITER and DEMO. The Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) blanket whose structural material is mainly made of Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic (RAFM) steel, is one of the candidate conceptual blanket design. An analysis of ripple and error field induced by RAFM steel in WCCB is evaluated with the method of static magnetic analysis in the ANSYS code. Significant additional magnetic field is produced by blanket and it leads to an increased ripple field. Maximum ripple along the separatrix line reaches 0.53% which is higher than 0.5% of the acceptable design value. Simultaneously, one blanket module is taken out for heating purpose and the resulting error field is calculated to be seriously against the requirement. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207) and the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Program of China (No. 2013GB108004)

This report is one of a series of reports documenting accident scenario simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal systems. The simulations were performed in support of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) for the APT.

Since many years, liquid metal flows for applications in fusion blankets have been investigated worldwide. A review is given about modeling requirements and existing experimental facilities for investigations of liquid metal related issues in blankets with the focus on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Most of the performed theoretical and experimental works were dedicated to fundamental aspects of MHD flows under very strong magnetic fields as they may occur in generic elements of fusion blankets like pipes, ducts, bends, expansions and contractions. Those experiments are required to progressively validate numerical tools with the purpose of obtaining codes capable to predict MHD flows at fusion relevant parameters in complex blanket geometries, taking into account electrical and thermal coupling between fluid and structural materials. Scaled mock-up experiments support the theoretical activities and help deriving engineering correlations for cases which cannot be calculated with required accuracy up to now.

Morasko impact craters are a record of the fall of a meteorite into the soft sediments. The presented results illustrate the geological structure of the area around the crater as well as providing evidence of the occurrence of ejecta blanket.

The self-cooled lithium/vanadium blanketconcept has several attractive features for fusion power systems, including reduced activation, resistance to radiation damage, accommodation of high heat loads and operating to temperatures of 650--700 C. The primary issue associated with the lithium/vanadium concept is the potentially high MHD pressure drop experienced by the lithium as it flows through the high magnetic field of the tokamak. The solution to this issue is to apply a thin insulating coating to the inside of the vanadium alloy to prevent the generation of eddy currents within the structure that are responsible for the high MHD forces and pressure drop. This paper presents progress in the development of an insulator coating that is capable of operating in the severe fusion environment, progress in the fabrication development of vanadium alloys, and a summary of MHD testing. A large number of small scale tests of vanadium alloy specimens coated with CaO and AlN have been conducted in liquid lithium to determine the resistivity and stability of the coating. In-situ measurements in lithium have determined that CaO coatings, {approximately} 5 {micro}m thick, have resistivity times thickness values exceeding 10{sup 6} {Omega}-cm{sup 2}. These results have been used to identify fabrication procedures for coating a large vanadium alloy (V-4Cr-4Ti) test section that was tested in the ALEX (Argonne Liquid metal Experiment) facility. Similar test sections have been produced in both Russia and the US.

The Sodium Fast Reactor is seen as the most realistic Gen-IV reactor to be built in the near future. France and the US are still developing their designs; these will require improved safety, competitive economics, and also proliferation resistance. To meet this last requirement, both French and American designers show some concerns with the use of breeding blankets. France and the USA won't need breeding blankets to produce plutonium because they already have large amounts of plutonium bred from their LWR fleet to start a new SFR fleet, thus breeding blankets are mainly of interest for minor actinide burning. On the contrary, India and China express great interest in blankets for their SFR designs, to reach a positive breeding gain. For example, the Indian PFBR, a 500 MWe oxide-fueled SFR has a breeding ratio of 1.05. Blankets are used in a Fast Reactor to increase the breeding ratio of the core, by breeding a significant amount of plutonium. The Plutonium bred within these blankets, if these are loaded with Uranium only, is generally of a very high quality, which makes it easily used in a nuclear explosive device. Our research has shown that the plutonium in breeding blankets can be made less attractive to make a nuclear explosive device than LWR-bred plutonium with a burnup of 50 MWd/Kg. Minor actinide doping and moderator addition were the two options studied, as they increase Pu{sup 238} and Pu{sup 240} production. In the work reported here, the methodology developed for securing a breeding blanket was successfully applied to the Indian PFBR. The full paper will describe a design of the PFBR breeding proliferation resistant plutonium within its blankets. The blankets were rendered secure by adding a zirconium hydride moderator and a small volume of MAs. It was demonstrated that reducing the attractiveness of the blanket plutonium would require no external MA dependency by choosing an adequate fuel cycle. The characteristics and performance of this design

Full Text Available Blanket bog occupies approximately 6 % of the area of the UK today. The Holocene expansion of this hyperoceanic biome has previously been explained as a consequence of Neolithic forest clearance. However, the present distribution of blanket bog in Great Britain can be predicted accurately with a simple model (PeatStash based on summer temperature and moisture index thresholds, and the same model correctly predicts the highly disjunct distribution of blanket bog worldwide. This finding suggests that climate, rather than land-use history, controls blanket-bog distribution in the UK and everywhere else. We set out to test this hypothesis for blanket bogs in the UK using bioclimate envelope modelling compared with a database of peat initiation age estimates. We used both pollen-based reconstructions and climate model simulations of climate changes between the mid-Holocene (6000 yr BP, 6 ka and modern climate to drive PeatStash and predict areas of blanket bog. We compiled data on the timing of blanket-bog initiation, based on 228 age determinations at sites where peat directly overlies mineral soil. The model predicts large areas of northern Britain would have had blanket bog by 6000 yr BP, and the area suitable for peat growth extended to the south after this time. A similar pattern is shown by the basal peat ages and new blanket bog appeared over a larger area during the late Holocene, the greatest expansion being in Ireland, Wales and southwest England, as the model predicts. The expansion was driven by a summer cooling of about 2 °C, shown by both pollen-based reconstructions and climate models. The data show early Holocene (pre-Neolithic blanket-bog initiation at over half of the sites in the core areas of Scotland, and northern England. The temporal patterns and concurrence of the bioclimate model predictions and initiation data suggest that climate change provides a parsimonious explanation for the early Holocene distribution and later

Highlights: • An updated design of Helium Cooled Ceramic breeder Blanket (HCCB) for HCCB-DEMO is proposed in this paper. • The Breeder Unit is transformed to TBM-like sub-modules, with double “banana” shape tritium breeder. Each sub-module is inserted in space formed by Stiffen Grids (SGs). • The performance analysis is performed based on the R&D development of material, fabrication technology and safety assessment in CN ITER TBM program. • Hot spots will be located at the FW bend side. - Abstract: The basic definition of the HCCB-DEMO plant and preliminary blanket designed by Southwestern Institution of Physics was proposed in 2009. The DEMO fusion power is 2550 MW and electric power is 800 MW. Based on development of R&D in breeding blanket, a conceptual design of helium cooled blanket with ceramic breeder in HCCB-DEMO was presented. The main design features of the HCCB-DEMO blanket were: (1) CLF-1 structure materials, Be multiplier and Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} breeder; (2) neutronic wall load is 2.3 MW/m{sup 2} and surface heat flux is 0.43 MW/m{sup 2} (2) TBR ≈ 1.15; (3) geometry of breeding units is ITER TBM-like segmentation; (4)Pressure of helium is 8 MPa and inlet/outlet temperature is 300/500 °C. On the basis of these design, some important analytical results are presented in aspects of (i) neutronic behavior of the blanket; (ii) design of 3D structure and thermal-hydraulic lay-out for breeding blanket module; (iii) structural-mechanical behavior of the blanket under pressurization. All of these assessments proved current stucture fulfill the design requirements.

The main objective of the present R and D on breeder blanket is the development of test blanket modules (TBMs) to be installed and tested in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). In the program of the blanket development, a blanket module test in the ITER is scheduled from the beginning of the ITER operation, and the performance test of TBM in ITER is the most important milestone for the development of the DEMO blanket. The fabrication of TBMs has been required to test the basic performance of the DEMO blanket, i.e., tritium production/recovery, high-grade heat generation and radiation shielding. Therefore, the integration of the TBM systems into ITER has been investigated with the aim to check the safety, reliability and compatibility under nuclear fusion state. For this reason, in the Test Blanket Working Group (TBWG) as an activity of the International Energy Association (IEA), a variety of ITER TBMs have been proposed and investigated by each party: helium-cooled ceramic (WSG-1), helium-cooled LiPb (WSG-2), water-cooled ceramic (WSG-3), self-cooled lithium (WSG-4) and self-cooled molten salt (WSG-5) blanket systems. Because we are still deficient in investigation of TBM development, the need of development became pressing. In this report, for the development of TBM sub-module and mock-up, it is necessary to analyze and examine the state of the art on the development of manufacturing technology of TBM in other countries. And we will be applied as basic data to establish a manufacturing technology.

The effect of permethrin-treated Africa University (AU) mosquito blankets on susceptible female Anopheles gambiae sensu lato mosquitoes was studied under laboratory conditions at Africa University Campus in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Wash resistance (ability to retain an effective dose that kills ≥80% of mosquitoes after a number of washes) and repellence (ability to prevent ≥80% of mosquito bites) properties were studied. The AU blankets were wash resistant when 100% mortality was recorded up t...

This report presents the results of a preliminary failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) of a small tritium-breeding test blanket module design for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The FMEA was quantified with “generic” component failure rate data, and the failure events are binned into postulated initiating event families and frequency categories for safety assessment. An appendix to this report contains repair time data to support an occupational radiation exposure assessment for test blanket module maintenance.

This report presents the results of a preliminary failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) of a small tritium-breeding test blanket module design for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The FMEA was quantified with “generic” component failure rate data, and the failure events are binned into postulated initiating event families and frequency categories for safety assessment. An appendix to this report contains repair time data to support an occupational radiation exposure assessment for test blanket module maintenance.

Traditional tritium breeding blankets in fusion reactor designs include a large amount of structural material. This results in complex engineering requirements, complicated sector maintenance, and marginal tritium breeding ratios (TBR). We present a conceptual design of a fully liquid blanket. To maximize tritium breeding volume, the vacuum vessel is completely immersed in a continuously recycled FLiBe blanket, with the exception of small support posts. FLiBe has a wide liquid temperature window (459 C to 1430 C), low electrical conductivity to minimize MHD effects, similar thermal/fluid characteristics to water, and is chemically inert. While tritium breeding with FLiBe in traditional blankets is poor, we use MCNP neutronics analysis to show that the immersion blanket design coupled with a beryllium neutron multiplier results in TBR > 1. FLiBe is shown to be a sufficient radiation shield for the toroidal field magnets and can be used as a coolant for the vacuum vessel and divertor, allowing for a simplified single-phase, low-pressure, single-fluid cooling scheme. When coupled with a high-field compact reactor design, the immersion blanket eliminates the need for complex sector maintenance, allows the vacuum vessel to be a replaceable component, and reduces financial cost.

@@ Shortage of energy resources and production of long-lived radioactivity wastes from fission reactors are among the main problems which will be faced in the world in the near future. The conceptual design of a fusion driven subcritical system (FDS) is underway in Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. There are alternative designs for multi-functional blanket modules of the FDS, such as fuel breeding blanket module (FBB)to produce fuels for fission reactors, tritium breeding blanket module to produce the fuel, i.e. tritium, for fusion reactor and waste transmutation blanket module to try to permanently dispose of long-lived radioactivity wastes from fission reactors, etc. Activation of the fuel breeding blanket of the fusion driven subcritical system (FDS-FBB) by D-T fusion neutrons from the plasma and fission neutrons from the hybrid blanket are calculated and analysed under the neutron wall loading 0.5 MW/m2 and neutron fluence 15 MW. yr/m2. The neutron spectrum is calculated with the worldwide-used transport code MCNP/4C and activation calculations are carried out with the well known European inventory code FISPACT/99 with the latest released IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL-2.0 and the ENDF/B-V uranium evaluated data. Induced radioactivities, dose rates and afterheats, etc, for different components of the FDS-FBB are compared and analysed.

This work presents an extensive analysis of the properties of the heterogeneous blankets (HGs) and their effectiveness in controlling the vibration of the base structures. The HG blankets act as a distributed vibration absorbers consisting of mass inhomogeneities inside a layer of porous media (acoustic foam). To asses the effectiveness of these HG blankets in controlling the vibration of the base structure (plate), detailed finite element (FE) models of the foam, the HG blanket, and the plate have been developed. The foam has been dicretized using the eight node hexahedral elements. The HG blanket model consists of the foam model with point masses attached to the nodes of the elements. The structural (plate) domain is discretized using four node rectangular plate elements. Each of the FE models has been individually validated by comparing the numerical results with their respective analytical and experimental results. The structural and the HG blanket FE models were then combined into a larger FE model comprised of a base plate with the HG treatment on its surface. The results from this numerical model have shown that there is a significant reduction in the vibration levels of the base plate due to the HG treatment on it.

China is a member of the ITER program and is developing her own materials for its shielding and test blanket modules. The materials include vacuum-hot-pressing (VHP) Be, CuCrZr alloy, 316L(N) and China low activation ferritic/martensitic (CLF-1) steels. Joining technologies including Be/Cu hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and electron beam (EB) weldability of 316L(N) were investigated. Chinese VHP-Be showed good properties, with BeO content and ductility that satisfy the ITER requirements. Be/Cu mock-ups were fabricated for Be qualification tests at simulated ITER vertical displacement event (VDE) and heat flux cycling conditions. Fine microstructure and good mechanical strength of the CuCrZr alloy were achieved by a pre-forging treatment, while the weldability of 316L(N) by EB was demonstrated for welding depths varying from 5 to 80 mm. Fine microstructure, high strength, and good ductility were achieved in CLF-1 steel by an optimized normalizing, tempering and aging procedure.

It is envisioned that tritium will be extracted from DCLL blankets using a vacuum permeator. We derive here an analytical solution for the extraction efficiency of a permeator tube, which is a function of only two dimensionless numbers: one that indicates whether radial transport is limited in the PbLi or in the solid membrane, and another that is the ratio of axial and radial transport times in the PbLi. The permeator efficiency is maximized by decreasing the velocity and tube diameter, and increasing the tube length. This is true regardless of the mass transport correlation used; we review several here and find that they differ little, and the choice of correlation is not a source of significant uncertainty here. The PbLi solubility, on the other hand, is a large source of uncertainty, and we identify upper and lower bounds from the literature data. Under the most optimistic assumptions, we find that a ferritic steel permeator operating at 550 °C will need to be at least an order of magnitude larger in volume than previous conceptual designs using niobium and operating at higher temperatures.

In ITER, the blanket modules (BM) are arranged around the plasma to provide thermal and nuclear shielding for the vacuum vessel (VV), magnets, and other components. As a part of the BM design process, nuclear analysis is required to determine the level of nuclear heating, helium production, and radiation damage in the BM. Additionally, nuclear heating in the VV is also important for assessing the BM design. We used the CAD based DAG-MCNP5 transport code to analyze detailed models inserted into a 40-degree partially homogenized ITER global model. The regions analyzed include BM01, the neutral beam injection (NB) region, and the upper port region. For BM01, the results show that He production meets the limit necessary for re-welding, and the VV heating behind BM01 is acceptable. For the NBI region, the VV nuclear heating behind the NB region exceeds the design limit by a factor of two. For the upper port region, the nuclear heating of the VV exceeds the design limit by up to 20%. The results presented in this work are being used to modify the BM design in the cases where limits are exceeded.

Highlights: • TBS safety demonstration files. • Safety functions and related design features – detailed TBS components classifications. • Nuclear analyses, radiation shielding and protection. • TBS radiological waste management strategy and categorization. • Selection and definition of reference accidents scenarios and accidents analyses. - Abstract: The European joint undertaking for ITER and the development of fusion energy (‘Fusion for Energy’ – F4E) provides the European contributions to the ITER international fusion energy research project. Among others it includes also the development, design, technological demonstration and implementation of the European test blanket systems (TBS) in ITER. Currently two EU TBS designs are in the phase of conceptual design – helium-cooled lithium-lead (HCLL) and helium-cooled pebble-bed (HCPB). Safety demonstration is an important part of the work devoted to the achievement of the next key project milestone the conceptual design review. The paper reveals the details of the work on EU TBS safety performed in the last couple of years: update of the TBS safety demonstration files; safety functions and related design features; detailed TBS components classifications; nuclear analyses, radiation shielding and protection; TBS radiological waste management strategy and categorization; selection and definition of reference accidents scenarios, and accidents analyses. Finally the authors share the information on on-going and planned future EU TBS safety activities.

The development of low-activation ferritic/martensitic steels is a key to the achievement of nuclear fusion as a safe, environmentally attractive and economically competitive energy source. The Japanese and the European Fusion Materials programs have put low-activation ferritic and martensitic steels R and D at the highest priority for a demonstration reactor (DEMO) and the beyond. An international collaborative test program on low-activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion is in progress as an activity of the International Energy Agency (IEA) fusion materials working group to verify the feasibility of using ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion by an extensive test program covering the most relevant technical issues for the qualification of a material for a nuclear application. The development of a comprehensive data base on the representative industrially processed reduced-activation steels of type 8-9Cr-2WVTa is underway for providing designers a preliminary set of material data for the mechanical design of components, e.g. for DEMO relevant blanket modules. The current design status of FFHR and SSTR utilizing low-activation ferritic steels is reviewed and future prospects are defined. (orig.) 12 refs.

Highlights: • 3D nuclear analysis of the ITER TBM Port Plug (PP). • Calculations of neutron fluxes, nuclear heating, damage and He-production in TBM PP components. • Shutdown dose rate assessment with Advanced D1S method considering different configurations. • Potential design improvements to reduce the shutdown dose rate in the port interspace. - Abstract: Nuclear analyses have been performed for the ITER Test Blanket Module Port Plug (TBM PP) using the MCNP-5 Monte Carlo Code. A detailed 3D model of the TBM Port Plug with dummy TBM has been integrated into the ITER MCNP model (B-lite v.3). Neutron fluxes, nuclear heating, helium production and neutron damage have been calculated in all the TBM PP components. Global shutdown dose rate calculations have also been performed with Advanced D1S method for different configurations of the TBM PP system. This paper presents the results of these analyses and discusses potential design improvements aiming to further reduce the shutdown dose rate in the port interspace.

. Concentrated waste (usually sewage sludge) can be added continuously or periodically (semi-batch operation), where it is mixed with the contents of the reactor. Theoretically, the conventional digester is operated as a once-through, completely mixed, reactor. In this particular mode of operation the hydraulic retention time (HRT) is equal to the solids retention time (SRT). Basically, the required process efficiency is related to the sludge retention time (SRT), and hence longer SRT provided, results in satisfactory population (by reproduction) for further waste stabilization. By reducing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the conventional mode reactor, the quantity of biological solids within the reactor is also decreased as the solids escape with the effluent. The limiting HRT is reached when the bacteria are removed from the reactor faster than they can grow. Methanogenic bacteria are slow growers and are considered the rate-limiting component in the anaerobic digestion process. The first anaerobic process developed, which separated the SRT from the HRT was the anaerobic contact process. In 1963, Young and McCarty (1968) began work, which eventually led to the development of the anaerobic upflow filter (AF) process. The anaerobic filter represented a significant advance in anaerobic waste treatment, since the filter can trap and maintain a high concentration of biological solids. By trapping these solids, long SRT's could be obtained at large waste flows, necessary to anaerobically treat low strength wastes at nominal temperatures economically. Another anaerobic process which relies on the development of biomass on the surfaces of a media is an expanded bed upflow reactor. The primary concept of the process consists of passing wastewater up through a bed of inert sand sized particles at sufficient velocities to fluidize and partially expand the sand bed. One of the more interesting new processes is the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket process (UASB), which was developed

Highlights: • A methodology to simulate the K-DEMO blanket system was proposed. • The results were compared with the CFD, to verify the prediction capability of MARS. • 46 Blankets in a single sector in K-DEMO were simulated using MARS-KS. • Supervisor program was devised to handle each blanket module individually. • The calculation results showed the flow rates, pressure drops, and temperatures. - Abstract: According to the conceptual design of the fusion DEMO reactor proposed by the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea, the water-cooled breeding blanket system incorporates a total of 736 blanket modules. The heat flux and neutron wall loading to each blanket module vary along their poloidal direction, and hence, thermal analysis for at least one blanket sector is required to confirm that the temperature limitations of the materials are satisfied in all the blanket modules. The present paper proposes a methodology of thermal analysis for multiple modules of the blanket system using a nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulic analysis code, MARS-KS. In order to overcome the limitations of the code, caused by the restriction on the number of computational nodes, a supervisor program was devised, which handles each blanket module separately at first, and then corrects the flow rate, considering pressure drops that occur in each module. For a feasibility test of the proposed methodology, 46 blankets in a single sector were simulated; the calculation results of the parameters, such as mass flow, pressure drops, and temperature distribution in the multiple blanket modules showed that the multi-module analysis method can be used for efficient thermal-hydraulic analysis of the fusion DEMO reactor.

Highlights: • This paper presents the optimization of the first wall of the water cooled lithium lead DEMO blanket with pressurized water reactor condition and circular channels in order to find the best geometry that can allow the maximum heat flux considering design criteria since an estimate of the engineering limit of the first wall heat load capacity is an essential input for the decision to implement limiters in DEMO. • An optimization study was carried out for the flat first wall design of the DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead considering thermal and mechanical constraint functions, assuming T{sub inlet}/T{sub outlet} equal to 285 °C/325 °C, based on geometric design parameters. • It became clear that through the optimization the advantages of a waved First Wall are diminished. • The analysis shows that the maximum heat load could achieve 2.53 MW m{sup −2}, but considering assumptions such as a coolant velocity ≤8 m/s, pipe diameter ≥5 mm and a total first wall thickness ≤22 mm, heat flux is limited to 1.57 MW m{sup −2}. - Abstract: The maximum heat load capacity of a DEMO First Wall (FW) of reasonable cost may impact the decision of the implementation of limiters in DEMO. An estimate of the engineering limit of the FW heat load capacity is an essential input for this decision. This paper describes the work performed to optimize the FW of the Water Cooled Lithium-Lead (WCLL) blanketconcept for DEMO fusion reactor in order to increase its maximum heat load capacity. The optimization is based on the use of water at typical Pressurised Water Reactors conditions as coolant. The present WCLL FW with a waved plasma-faced surface and with circular channels was studied and the heat load limit has been predicted with FEM analysis equal to 1.0 MW m{sup −2} with respect to the Eurofer temperature limit. An optimization study was then carried out for a flat FW design considering thermal and mechanical constraints assuming inlet and outlet

In DT fusion reactors like DEMO, the commonly accepted tritium (T) losses through the steam generator (SG) shall not exceed about 2 mg/d that are more than 5 orders of magnitude lower than the T production rate of about 360 g/d in the breeding blanket (BB). A very effective mitigation strategy is required balancing the size and efficiency of the processes in the breeding and cooling loops, and the availability and efficiency of anti-permeation barriers. A numerical study is presented using the T permeation code FUS-TPC that computes all T flows and inventories considering the design and operation of the BB, the SG, and the T systems. Many scenarios are numerically analyzed for three breeding blanketsconcepts – helium cooled pebbles bed (HCPB), helium cooled lithium lead (HCLL), and water cooled lithium lead (WCLL) – varying the T processes throughput and efficiency, and the permeation regimes through the BB and SG to be either surface-limited or diffusion-limited with possible permeation reduction factor. For each BB concept, we discuss workable operation scenarios and suggest specific anti-permeation strategies.

Highlights: • Reveal the existence of blocking effect of high expansion foam on an LNG pool. • Study the blanketing effect of high expansion foam quantitatively. • Correlate heat flux for vaporization with foam breaking rate. • Propose the physical mechanism of blanketing effect. - Abstract: With increasing consumption of natural gas, the safety of liquefied natural gas (LNG) utilization has become an issue that requires a comprehensive study on the risk of LNG spillage in facilities with mitigation measures. The immediate hazard associated with an LNG spill is the vapor hazard, i.e., a flammable vapor cloud at the ground level, due to rapid vaporization and dense gas behavior. It was believed that high expansion foam mitigated LNG vapor hazard through warming effect (raising vapor buoyancy), but the boil-off effect increased vaporization rate due to the heat from water drainage of foam. This work reveals the existence of blocking effect (blocking convection and radiation to the pool) to reduce vaporization rate. The blanketing effect on source term (vaporization rate) is a combination of boil-off and blocking effect, which was quantitatively studied through seven tests conducted in a wind tunnel with liquid nitrogen. Since the blocking effect reduces more heat to the pool than the boil-off effect adds, the blanketing effect contributes to the net reduction of heat convection and radiation to the pool by 70%. Water drainage rate of high expansion foam is essential to determine the effectiveness of blanketing effect, since water provides the boil-off effect.

Highlights: • Different aspects of tritium management in breeder blankets were reviewed. • Safe and reliable tritium management faces unique technological challenges. • Tritium recovery efficiency in tritium extraction system (TES) is a vital issue. • Tritium tracking accuracy needs to be demonstrated for the whole fuel cycle. • Improved or new processes for TES and CPS are needed in case of DEMO. -- Abstract: Safe, reliable and efficient tritium management in the breeder blanket faces unique technological challenges. Beside the tritium recovery efficiency in the tritium extraction and coolant purification systems, the tritium tracking accuracy between the inner and outer fuel cycle shall also be demonstrated. Furthermore, it is self-evident that safe handling and confinement of tritium need to be stringently assured to evolve fusion as a reliable technique. The present paper gives an overview of tritium management in breeder blankets. After a short introduction into the tritium fuel cycle and blanket basics, open tritium issues are discussed, thereby focusing on tritium extraction from blanket, coolant detritiation and tritium analytics and accountancy, necessary for accurate and reliable processing as well as for book-keeping.

The development of a Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) Test Blanket Module (TBM) is being performed as one of the most important steps toward DEMO blanket in Japan. For the TBM testing and evaluation toward DEMO blanket, the module fabrication technology development by a candidate structural material, reduced activation martensitic/ferritic steel, F82H, is one of the most critical items from the viewpoint of realization of TBM testing in ITER. In Japan, fabrication of a real scale first wall, side walls, a breeder pebble bed box and assembling of the first wall and side walls have succeeded. Recently, the real scale partial mockup of the back wall was fabricated. The fabrication procedure of the back wall, whose thickness is up to 90 mm, was confirmed toward the fabrication of the real scale back wall by F82H. Important key technologies are almost clarified for the fabrication of the real scale TBM module mockup. From the view point of testing and evaluation, development of the technology of the blanket tritium recovery, development of advanced breeder and multiplier pebbles and the development of the blanket neutronics measurement technology are also performed. Also, tritium production and recovery test using D-T neutron in the Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS) facility has been started as the verification test of tritium production performance. This paper overviews the recent achievements of the development of the WCCB TBM in Japan.

The design of the ITER blanket first wall includes the Beryllium amour tiles joined to CuCrZr heat sink with stainless steel cooling tubes. For the ITER application, the Be/CuCrZr/SS joint was proposed as a first wall material. The joining of Be/CuCrZr as well as CuCrZr/SS was generally carried out by using a hot isostatic pressing (CuC) in many countries. The joining strength for Be/CuCrZr is relatively lower than that for CuCrZr/SS, since we usually forms surface oxides (BeO) and brittle a metallics with Cu. Therefore, the joining technology for the Be/CuCrZr joint has been investigated. Be is apt to adsorb oxygen in an air atmosphere, so we should be etched to eliminate the surface pre-oxide using a chemical solution and Ar ions in a vacuum chamber. Then we is coated with a first was to prevent further oxidation. The kinds of a first we are chosen to be able to enhance the joining strength as inhibiting excessive be diffusion. The performance of the Be/CuCrZr/SS joint used for the ITER first wall is primarily dependent on the joining strength of the Be/CuCrZr interface. The Cr/Cu and Ti/Cr/Cu interlayers enabled the successful joining of be tile to CuCrZr plate. Moreover, ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD) increased joining strength of the Be/CuCrZr joint mock-ups. IBAD induced the increased packing of depositing atoms, which resulted in denser and more adhesive interlayers. The interlayers formed by IBAD process revealed about 40% improved resistance to the scratch test. It is suggested that the improved adhesion of coating interlayers enabled tight joining of Be and CuCrZr blocks. As compared to without IBAD coating, the shear strength as well as the 4-point bend strength were increased more than 20% depending on interlayer types and coating conditions

The question of tritium recovery in Pb17Li, water cooled blankets is under investigation since several years at JRC Ispra. The method which has been more extensively analyzed is that of slowly circulating the breeder out from the blanket units and of extracting the tritium from it outside the plasma vacuum vessel by helium gas purging in a suited process apparatus. The design features of the process systems are related to: (1) the very low tritium solubility in Pb17Li which implies high permeation rates through the containment structures; (2) the need of keeping as low as possible the tritium concentration in the cooling water both for safety and economical reasons. A computerized model of the tritium behavior in the blanket units and in the extraction system has been developed.

In order to investigate the nuclear response to the water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket models for CFETR, a detailed 3D neutronics model with 22.5° torus sector was developed based on the integrated geometry of CFETR, including heterogeneous WCCB blanket models, shield, divertor, vacuum vessel, toroidal and poloidal magnets, and ports. Using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code MCNP5 and IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL2.1, the neutronics analyses were performed. The neutron wall loading, tritium breeding ratio, the nuclear heating, neutron-induced atomic displacement damage, and gas production were determined. The results indicate that the global TBR of no less than 1.2 will be a big challenge for the water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket for CFETR. supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2014GB122000, and 2014GB119000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Tritium processing technologies of the two European Test Blanket Systems (TBS), HCLL (Helium Cooled Lithium Lead) and HCPB (Helium Cooled Pebble Bed), play an essential role in meeting the main objectives of the TBS experimental campaign in ITER. The compliancy with the ITER interface requirements, in terms of space availability, service fluids, limits on tritium release, constraints on maintenance, is driving the design of the TBS tritium processing systems. Other requirements come from the characteristics of the relevant test blanket module and the scientific programme that has to be developed and implemented. This paper identifies the main requirements for the design of the TBS tritium systems and equipment and, at the same time, provides an updated overview on the current design status, mainly focusing onto the tritium extractor from Pb-16Li and TBS tritium accountancy. Considerations are also given on the possible extrapolation to DEMO breeding blanket. (authors)

Highlights: • Nominal steady state hydraulic behaviour of ITER blanket standard sector cooling system has been investigated. • Numerical simulations have been run adopting a qualified thermal-hydraulic system code. • Hydraulic characteristic functions and coolant mass flow rates, velocities and pressure drops have been assessed. • Most of the considered circuits are able to effectively cool blanket modules, meeting ITER requirements. - Abstract: The blanket system is the ITER reactor component devoted to providing a physical boundary for plasma transients and contributing to thermal and nuclear shielding of vacuum vessel, magnets and external components. It is expected to be subjected to significant heat loads under nominal conditions and its cooling system has to ensure an adequate cooling, preventing any risk of critical heat flux occurrence while complying with pressure drop limits. At the University of Palermo a study has been performed, in cooperation with the ITER Organization, to investigate the steady state hydraulic behaviour of the ITER blanket standard sector cooling system. A theoretical–computational approach based on the finite volume method has been followed, adopting the RELAP5 system code. Finite volume models of the most critical blanket cooling circuits have been set-up, realistically simulating the coolant flow domain. The steady state hydraulic behaviour of each cooling circuit has been investigated, determining its hydraulic characteristic function and assessing the spatial distribution of coolant mass flow rates, velocities and pressure drops under reference nominal conditions. Results obtained have indicated that the investigated cooling circuits are able to provide an effective cooling to blanket modules, generally meeting ITER requirements in term of pressure drop and velocity distribution, except for a couple of circuits that are being revised.

This study assesses the feasibility of designing Seed and Blanket (S&B) Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) to generate a significant fraction of the core power from radial thorium fueled blankets that operate on the Breed-and-Burn (B&B) mode without exceeding the 200 Displacements per Atom (DPA) radiation damage constraint of presently verified cladding materials. The S&B core is designed to have an elongated seed (or “driver”) to maximize the fraction of neutrons that radially leak into the su...

Position-dependent optimization calculations have been carried out on a D-D fusion reactor blanket/shield to maximize the energy gain in the blanket and to minimize the atomic displacement rate of the copper stabilizer in the superconducting magnet. The results obtained by using the optimization code SWAN indicate the advantage of D/sub 2/O coolant over H/sub 2/O coolant with respect to increasing the energy gain, and the difference in the optimal shield distributions between D-T and D-D neutron sources. The possibility of improving both the energy gain and radiation shielding characteristics is also discussed.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A molten salt blanket has been designed for the fusion-fission hybrid reactor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The use of Thorium in the molten salt fuels has been studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The molten salt was consisted of F-Li-Be and with the thickness of 40 cm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The concentration of {sup 6}Li was chosen to be the natural enrichment ratio. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The result shows that TBR is greater than 1, M is about 15-16. - Abstract: Not only solid fuels, but also liquid fuels can be used for the fusion-fission symbiotic reactor blanket. The operational record of the molten salt reactor with F-Li-Be was very successful, so the F-Li-Be blanket was chosen for research. The molten salt has several features which are suited for the fusion-fission applications. The fuel material uranium and thorium were dissolved in the F-Li-Be molten salt. A combined program, COUPLE, was used for neutronics analysis of the molten salt blanket. Several cases have been calculated and compared. Not only the influence of the different fuels have been studied, but also the thickness of the molten salt, and the concentration of the {sup 6}Li in the molten salt. Preliminary studies indicate that when thorium-uranium-plutonium fuels were added into a F-Li-Be molten salt blanket and with a component of 71% LiF-2% BeF{sub 2}-13.5% ThF{sub 4}-8.5% UF{sub 4}-5% PuF{sub 3}, and also with the molten salt thickness of 40 cm and natural concentration of {sup 6}Li, the appropriate blanket energy multiplication factor and TBR can be obtained. The result shows that thorium-uranium molten salt can be used in the blanket of a fusion-fission symbiotic reactor. The research on the molten salt blanket must be valuable for the design of fusion-fission symbiotic reactor.

This report provides background information for a series of reports documenting accident scenario simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal systems. The simulations were performed in support of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the APT. This report gives a brief description of the FLOWTRAN-TF code which was used for detailed blanket bin modeling.

In this paper, the purpose of the analyses is to extend the capability of MARS-KS to the entire blanket system which includes a few hundreds of single blanket modules. Afterwards, the plan for the whole blanket system analysis using MARS-KS is introduced and the result of the multiple blanket module analysis is summarized. A thermal-hydraulic analysis code for a nuclear reactor safety, MARS-KS, was applied for the conceptual design of the K-DEMO breeding blanket thermal analysis. Then, a methodology to simulate multiple blanket modules was proposed, which uses a supervisor program to handle each blanket module individually at first and then distribute the flow rate considering pressure drops arises in each module. For a feasibility test of the proposed methodology, 10 outboard blankets in a toroidal field sector were simulated, which are connected with each other through the inlet and outlet common headers. The calculation results of flow rates, pressure drops, and temperatures showed the validity of the calculation and thanks to the parallelization using MPI, almost linear speed-up could be obtained.

Full Text Available This research quantified the role of topography and hydrological processes within and, hence, the development of, blanket bogs. Topographic characteristics were derived from digital elevation models (DEMs developed for the surface and underlying substrate at three blanket bog sites on the southeastern lobe of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland. A multinomial logit (MNL model of the probability of bog occurrence was constructed in terms of relevant topographic characteristics. The resulting model was then used to investigate the probabilistic boundary conditions of bog occurrence within the landscape. Under average curvatures for the sites studied, substrate slopes up to 0.065 favoured blanket bog development. However, steeper slopes could, theoretically, be occupied by blanked bog where water is concentrated by convergent curvatures or large contributing areas. Near community boundaries, bog and heath communities both occupied similar topographic conditions. Since these boundary locations are capable of supporting the hydrological conditions necessary for bog development, the heath is likely to be encroached upon by bog.

The APT blanket system has about 57 MW of thermal energy deposited within the blanket region under normal operating conditions from the release of neutrons and the interaction of the High energy particles with the blanket materials. This corresponds to about 48 percent of total thermal energy deposited in the APT target/blanket system. The deposited thermal energy under normal operation conditions is an important input parameter used in the thermal-hydraulic design and accident analysis.

In many countries, blanket dry cow therapy (DCT) is the standard way to dry off cows. Because of concerns about antibiotic resistance, selective DCT is proposed as an alternative. The economic consequences of different types of DCT were studied previously, but variation between input traits and diff

... Authorization Take notice that on April 7, 2011, Colorado Interstate Gas Company (CIG) filed a prior notice... Station located in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, under CIG's blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP83-21- 000.\\1\\ Specifically, CIG proposes to remove all above and below-ground facilities and the...

.... 76-07. (h) Routine Use—Disclosure to the Office of Personnel Management. A record from a system of... Personnel Management (OPM) concerning information on pay and leave, benefits, retirement deduction, and any... Blanket Routine Uses (a) Routine Use—Law Enforcement. If a system of records maintained by a DoD...

Full Text Available Salted lamb meat blanket, originated from boning, salting, and drying of whole lamb carcass, was studied aiming at obtaining information that support the search for guarantees of origin for this typical regional product from the city of Petrolina-Pernambuco-Brazil. Data from three processing units were obtained, where it was observed the use of a traditional local technology that uses salting, an ancient preservation method; however, with a peculiar boning technique, resulting in a meat product with great potential for exploitation in the form of meat blanket. Based on the values of pH (6.22 ± 0.22, water activity (0.97 ± 0.02, and moisture (69.86 ± 2.26 lamb meat blanket is considered a perishable product, and consequently it requires the use of other preservation methods combined with salt, which along with the results of the microbiological analyses (absence of Salmonella sp, score <10 MPN/g of halophilic bacteria, total coliforms between 6.7 × 10³ and 5.2 × 10(6 FUC/g, and Staphylococcus from 8.1 × 10³ CFU/g at uncountable reinforce the need of hygienic practices to ensure product safety. These results, together with the product notoriety and the organization of the sector are important factors in achieving Geographical Indication of the Salted lamb Meat blanket of Petrolina.

The determination of the thickness of a sludge blanket in primary and secondary clarifiers and in gravity thickness is important in making operational control decisions. Knowing the thickness and concentration will allow the operator to determine sludge volume and detention time. Designed for individuals who have completed National Pollutant…

... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY The Dow... application (Application), filed on July 13, 2012, by The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), requesting blanket... on a short-term or spot market basis for a two-year period commencing on October 5, 2012.\\1\\...

The objective of this paper is to propose a simple tool to estimate the absorption vs. transmission loss contributions of a multilayered blanket unbounded in a double panel structure and thus guide its optimization. The normal incidence airborne sound transmission loss of the double panel structure, without structure-borne connections, is written in terms of three main contributions; (i) sound transmission loss of the panels, (ii) sound transmission loss of the blanket and (iii) sound absorption due to multiple reflections inside the cavity. The method is applied to four different blankets frequently used in automotive and aeronautic applications: a non-symmetric multilayer made of a screen in sandwich between two porous layers and three symmetric porous layers having different pore geometries. It is shown that the absorption behavior of the blanket controls the acoustic behavior of the treatment at low and medium frequencies and its transmission loss at high frequencies. Acoustic treatment having poor sound absorption behavior can affect the performance of the double panel structure.

Highlights: Eddy and halo currents and corresponding Lorentz forces on the ITER vacuum vessel and blanket modules have been computed. VDEs and MDs belonging to cat III, II and I, and a magnet fast discharge have been simulated. The maximum vertical force in the VV (about 120 MN downwards) is experienced in VDE-DW-SLOW cat III. For the FW panel of blanket 18 the most demanding load case is the VDE downward cat III producing a radial torque of about 110 kNm. For the FW of blanket module 10 the most demanding load case is the VDE upward exp cat III producing a poloidal torque of about 130 kNm. -- Abstract: This paper presents the results of the electromagnetic analyses of the ITER vacuum vessel and blanket modules. A wide collection of electromagnetic transients has been simulated: VDEs and MDs belonging to cat III, II and I, and a magnet fast discharge. Eddy and halo currents and corresponding Lorentz forces have been computed using 3D solid FE models implemented in ANSYS and CARIDDI. The plasma equilibrium configurations (displacement and quench of the plasma current, toroidal flux variation due to the β drop and halo currents wetting the first wall) used as an input for the EM analyses have been supplied by the 2D axisymmetric code DINA. The paper describes in detail the methodology used for the analyses and the main results obtained.

... granted a blanket certificate of public convenience and necessity pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas... the sales customer to arrange for any pipeline-provided service necessary to deliver gas to the customer. (e) Small customer cost-based rate. A pipeline that provided bundled sales service to a...

With continuing advances in radiative transfer techniques, increases in computing power, and the availability of at least some of the necessary atomic data, it is now possible to consider the computation of detailed non-LTE model atmospheres in which the full effects of non-LTE line blanketing are taken into account. We discuss our own implementation of non-LTE line blanketing in a spherical non-LTE code developed for the investigation of objects with extended outflows. A partial linearization technique is used to simultaneously solve the radiative transfer equation in conjunction with the equations of statistical equilibrium. Convergence properties are similar to that obtained with an ``Optimal'' Approximate-Lambda Operator. CNO line blanketing has been incorporated without major difficulty, while Fe blanketing is currently being installed. Comparisons of model spectra with recent HST observations of an LMC WC star will be presented. When completed we anticipate the code will be applicable to the study of a wide range of phenomena exhibiting outflows including Luminous-Blue variables, Supernovae, Wold-Rayet stars and Novae. Partial support for this work was provided by NASA through grant Nos GO-5460.01-93A and GO-4550.01-92A from the Space Science Institute which is operated under the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. Support from NASA award NAGW-3828 is also gratefully acknowledged.

Full Text Available Abstract Background The interactions among genetic factors related to diseases are called epistasis. With the availability of genotyped data from genome-wide association studies, it is now possible to computationally unravel epistasis related to the susceptibility to common complex human diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. However, the difficulties of detecting epistatic interaction arose from the large number of genetic factors and the enormous size of possible combinations of genetic factors. Most computational methods to detect epistatic interactions are predictor-based methods and can not find true causal factor elements. Moreover, they are both time-consuming and sample-consuming. Results We propose a new and fast Markov Blanket-based method, FEPI-MB (Fast EPistatic Interactions detection using Markov Blanket, for epistatic interactions detection. The Markov Blanket is a minimal set of variables that can completely shield the target variable from all other variables. Learning of Markov blankets can be used to detect epistatic interactions by a heuristic search for a minimal set of SNPs, which may cause the disease. Experimental results on both simulated data sets and a real data set demonstrate that FEPI-MB significantly outperforms other existing methods and is capable of finding SNPs that have a strong association with common diseases. Conclusions FEPI-MB algorithm outperforms other computational methods for detection of epistatic interactions in terms of both the power and sample-efficiency. Moreover, compared to other Markov Blanket learning methods, FEPI-MB is more time-efficient and achieves a better performance.

Equalization characteristics of the upflow sludge blanket-aerated bio-filter (USB-AF) were investigated with the fluctuated raw domestic sewage. Recycle of nitrified effluent from AF to USB triggered the equalization characteristics of the sludge blanket on both soluble and particulate organic matter. Increment of EPS in sludge blanket by nitrate recycle was detected and removal of turbidity and particulates increased at higher recycle ratios by bio-flocculation. Increased TCOD removal in the USB was due to both denitrification of recycled nitrate and entrapment of the particulate organic matter in sludge blanket. Capture of both soluble and particulate organic matter increased sludge blanket layer in the USB, which improved the reactor performances and reduced the organic load on the subsequent AF. Overall TCOD and SS removal efficiencies were about 98% and 96%, respectively in the USB-AF system. Turbidity in the USB effluent was about 44, 20 and 5.5 NTU, at recycle ratios of 0, 100 and 200%, respectively. Particle counts in the range 2-4 microm in the USB effluent were higher than those in influent without nitrate recycle, while particle counts in the range of 0.5-15 microm in the USB effluent decreased 70% at recycle ratio of 200%. The major constituent of EPS extracted from anaerobic sludge was protein and total EPS increased from 109.1 to 165.7 mg/g-VSS with nitrate recycle of 100%. Removal efficiency and concentration of T-N in the UBS-AF effluent was over 70% and below 16 mg/L, respectively.

Korea has developed two kinds of TBM for ITER; a Helium cooled solidbreeder (HCSB) TBM and a Helium cooled molten lithium (HCML) TBM, respectively. Under the HCML TBM project, a 1/6 scaled mock-up of the TBM FW has been fabricated in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The size of the scaled mock-up is 260 mm height and 444 mm width. As coolant channels in the mock-up, there are rectangular shape of 10 channels with 10 mm height and 20 mm width. The scaled mock-up was manufactured by hot isostatic pressing bonding method using SS316L. Three components of the scaled mock-up were prepared; a front part of cooling channel 10 mm height with 20 mm width, a front cover plate, and a back plate. The front plate and the cover were bonded by welding, and the welded part and the back plate are attached by HIP process. A pair of manifolds, to distribute the coolant uniformly into 10 channels of the scaled mock-up, were designed and fabricated. The designed manifolds were then welded in inlet and outlet positions of the mock-up. To measure the flow distribution in each channel, the ultrasonic flowmeter (UFM) was used and the values were compared to a conventional flowmeter. Before the flow distribution test of the scaled mock-up, a calibration procedure was conducted with a single channel mock-up using the UFM and the flowmeter. The result showed a good agreement between the UFM and the flowmeter values in the single channel. The same test procedure conducted on the scaled mock-up; the velocity of each channel was measured by the UFM and total mass flow rate was measured with the flowmeter. The estimated velocities distributed from the manifold were simulated by ANSYS-CFX. However, there was a discrepancy between the measured and the simulated values. The current manifold could not provide uniform flow rate to the each channel or there would be a measurement error using the UFM in the specified mock-up. This means that the UFM measurement method should be validated

Full Text Available Existing studies had shown that gender stereotyping is still evident in contemporary Malaysian English literature particularly in novels. By using the concepts of ‘gender performance’ and ‘performativity’ introduced by Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990, the current study aims to prove that there is an act of resistance among the new generations/contemporary Malaysian writers against the gender norms placed on sexuality. These writers resisted the norms by performing “gender trouble” through the construction of their characters’ gender identity. Two short stories are selected from 25 Malaysian Short Stories: Best of Silverfish New Writing 2001 – 2005 as the scope of the study to answer these questions; (a what are the stereotyped ‘gender performances’ of the characters’ sexuality in the two selected short stories?, and (b how do contemporary Malaysian writers resist stereotyped sexuality using ‘gender performance’ in their writings? The study found that the selected characters from the short story The Silk Fan and Under the Blanket, do perform “gender trouble” in resisting gender expectations on their sexuality. Thus, based on the results of this study, it is hoped that the misconceptions on gender and the conventional way of thinking about sexuality and gender in Malaysian society can be somewhat liberated.

SiC is the primary candidate for the flow channel inserts in dual-coolant blanketconcepts. Porous SiC ceramics are attractive candidates for this non-structural application, since they can satisfy the required properties through a low cost manufacturing route, compared to SiC{sub f}/SiC. This work shows first results of the manufacturing of porous SiC ceramics prepared with different amounts of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} as sintering additives. C powders were used as pore-formers by their burnout during oxidation after sintering. Comparison of microstructure, porosity, flexural strength, thermal and electrical conductivity and corrosion under Pb-15.7Li of porous SiC without and with sintering additives is presented. The addition of 2.5 wt.% of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} improves the mechanical properties, and reduces the thermal and electrical conductivity down to reasonable values. Preliminary corrosion tests under Pb-15.7 Li at 500 deg. C show that the absence of a dense coating on porous SiC leads to poor corrosion behavior.

A concept map is a node-link diagram showing the semantic relationships among concepts. The technique for constructing concept maps is called "concept mapping". A concept map consists of nodes, arrows as linking lines, and linking phrases that describe the relationship between nodes. Two nodes connected with a labeled arrow are called a proposition. Concept maps are versatile graphic organizers that can represent many different forms of relationships between concepts. The relationship between...

In the Prototype Gen-IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (PGSFR), a metal fueled, blanket-free, pool type SFR concept is adopted to acquire the inherent safety characteristics and high proliferation-resistance. In the pool type fast reactor, the intermediate heat exchangers (IHXs), which transfer heat from the primary sodium pool to a secondary sodium loop, are placed inside of the reactor vessel. Hence, secondary sodium passing the IHXs can be radioactivated by a {sup 23}Na(n,g){sup 24}Na reaction, and radioactivated secondary sodium causes a significant dose in the Steam Generator Building (SGB). Therefore, a typical core of a pool type fast reactor is usually surrounded by a massive quantity of shields. In addition, the blanket composed of depleted uranium plays a role as superior shielding material; a significant increase in shields is required in the blanket-free pool type SFR. In this paper, a new cylindrical shielding design concept is proposed for a blanket-free pool type SFR. In a conventional shielding design, massive axial shields are required to prevent irradiation of secondary sodium passing IHXs and they should be replaced according to the subassembly replacement in spite of negligible depletion of the shielding material. The proposed shielding design concept minimizes the quantity of shields without their replacement. In this paper, a new cylindrical shielding design concept is proposed for a blanket-free pool type SFR such as a PGSFR. The proposed design concept satisfied the dose limit in the steam generator building successfully without introducing a large quantity of B{sub 4}C shielding inside the subassembly.

The hydrological and ecological functioning of blanket bogs is strongly coupled, involving multiple ecohydrological feedbacks which can affect carbon cycling. Cool and wet conditions inhibit decomposition, and favour the growth of Sphagnum mosses which produce highly recalcitrant litter. A small but persistent imbalance between production and decomposition has led to blanket bogs in the UK accumulating large amounts of carbon. Additionally, healthy bogs provide a suite of other ecosystems services including water regulation and drinking water provision. However, there is concern that climate change could increase rates of litter decomposition and disrupt this carbon sink. Furthermore, it has been argued that the response of these ecosystems in the warmer south west and west of the UK may provide an early analogue for later changes in the more extensive northern peatlands. In order to investigate the effects of climate change on blanket bog litter decomposition, we set-up a litter bag experiment across an altitudinal gradient spanning 200 m of elevation (including a transition from moorland to healthy blanket bog) on Dartmoor, an area of hitherto unstudied, climatically marginal blanket bog in the south west of the UK. At seven sites, water table depth and soil and surface temperature were recorded continuously. Litter bags filled with the litter of three vegetation species dominant on Dartmoor were incubated just below the bog surface and retrieved over a period of 12 months. We found significant differences in the rate of decomposition between species. At all sites, decomposition progressed in the order Calluna vulgaris (dwarf shrub) > Molinia caerulea (graminoid) > Sphagnum (bryophyte). However, while soil temperature did decrease along the altitudinal gradient, being warmer in the lower altitudes, a hypothesised accompanying decrease in decomposition rates did not occur. This could be explained by greater N deposition at the higher elevation sites (estimated

Key issues on a D-T Tokamak fusion reactor with advanced blanketconcept using CFAB (Compact Fusion Advanced Brayton) cycle are presented. Although the previously proposed and studied compact fusion advanced Rankine cycle using mercury liquid metal has shown, in general, excellent performance characteristics in extracting energy and electricity with high efficiency by the {open_quotes}in-situ{close_quotes} nonequilibrium MHD disk generator, and in enhancing safety potential, there was a fear about uses of hazardous mercury as primary coolant as well as its limited natural resources. To overcome these disadvantages while retaining the advantage features of a ultra-high temperature coolant inherent in the synchrotron energy-enhanced D-T tokamak reactor, a compact fusion advanced Brayton cycle using helium was reexamined which was once considered relatively not superior in the CFAR study, at the expense of high, but acceptable circulation power, lower heat transfer characteristics, and probably of a little bit reduced safety.

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will be the first experimental D-T fusion reactor to provide an exclusive test platform of physics and engineering technology for research and development of fusion, where the technology of Test Blanket Module (TBM) in ITER is one of the most critical kernels to achieve fusion power in the future. According to defined concepts of DEMO blanket, the parties had proposed DEMOrelevant TBM, respectively, which would be to be tested during ITER operation. Design of proposed TBM concepts, R&D status, and recommended port allocation in ITER are introduced in this contribution.%国际热核实验反应堆(ITER)为人类开发聚变能提供重要的物理和工程技术实验平台,ITER氚增殖实验包层模块(TBM)技术是必须掌握的关键技术.参与ITER计划的成员国根据本国商用演示堆包层发展策略,分别提出了各自的实验包层概念,以便在ITER运行期间进行实验.本文对ITER-TBM目前已经开展和正在进行的主要设计研究工作进展进行总结,介绍了各方提出的设计方案、支撑设计的相关技术研究进展,以及合作实验窗口的分配现状.

By having a university 'stores' set up with a blanket order with about 115 local vendors, a university has eliminated petty cash disbursements for small purchases and proliferating purchase orders. (Author/PG)

In roll-offset printing (patterning) technology with a PDMS blanket as a transfer medium, one of the major reliability issues is the occurrence of swelling, which involves absorption of the ink solvent in the printing blanket with repeated printing. This study developed a method to resolve blanket swelling in gravure offset roll printing and performed experiments for performance verification. The physical phenomena of mass and heat transfer were applied to fabricate a device based on convection drying. The proposed device managed to effectively control blanket swelling through drying by blowing air and additional temperature control. The experiments verified that printing quality (in particular the variation of the width of printed patterns) was maintained over 500 continuous printing.

Highlights: • We discussed the conceptual design of CFETR blanket RH maintenance system. • The mathematical model of electro-hydraulic servo system was calculated. • A fuzzy adaptive PD controller was designed based on control theory and experience. • The co-simulation models of the system were established with AMESim/Simulink. • The fuzzy adaptive PD algorithm was designed as the core strategy of the system. - Abstract: Based on the technical design requirements of China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) blanket remote handling (RH) maintenance, this paper focus on the control method of achieving high synchronization accuracy of electro-hydraulic servo system. Based on fuzzy control theory and practical experience, a fuzzy adaptive proportional-derivative (PD) controller was designed. Then a more precise co-simulation model was established with AMESim/Simulink. Through the analysis of simulation results, a fuzzy adaptive PD control algorithm was designed as the core strategy of electro-hydraulic servo control system.

Highlights: • Recent achievements in fabricaition within different frameworks. • First Wall mockup with erosion technology. • Manufacturing of a HCPB TBM Cooling Plate Mockup (F4E) - Abstract: Fabrication experiments have been carried out in the KIT with the goal to qualify manufacturing technologies for the realization of fusion reactor components. The main focus of the activities managed by the fabrication team in the Institute of Neutron Physics and reactor technologies (INR) has been on the Test Blanket Module for ITER. Sets of fabrication and welding procedure specifications have been demonstrated and qualified in relevant scale for TBM structural and functional components. This paper presents interactions in between the different frameworks on domestic and European level to underline backgrounds of developments. It also summarizes results of development and their relevancy for DEMO and gives an outlook on the future development strategy for the DEMO blanket fabrication.

The work performed in the reporting period was primarily concerned with the construction of the Fast Breeder Blanket Facility (FBBF), acquisition of experimental equipment, outlining the experimental program, preanalysis of the initial loading configuration and investigation of the safety of the initial loading and advanced loadings. The detailed physical description of the FBBF, operational procedures and controls, radiation shielding and experimental equipment are presented. The ability of the FBBF to simulate the blanket spectrum of a large fast breeder reactor is illustrated by comparison of spectra. The source axial distribution, reaction rate comparisons, breeding of plutonium and gamma-ray energy deposition rates are also discussed. Some of the safety aspects of the initial loading and advanced loadings are described. Experimental capabilities of the facility are outlined.

A Japanese ITER test blanket module (TBM) is planed to use reduced-activation martensitic steel F82H. Feasibility of F82H for ITER test blanket module is discussed in this paper. Several kinds of property data, including physical properties, magnetic properties, mechanical properties and neutron-irradiation data on F82H have been obtained, and these data are complied into a database to be used for the designing of the ITER TBM. Currently obtained data suggests F82H will not have serious problems for ITER TBM. Optimization of F82H improves the induced activity, toughness and HIP resistance. Furthermore, modified F82H is resistant to temperature instability during material production.

Objectives: Based on actigraphic surveillance, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom rating and sleep diary, this study will evaluate the effect of Ball Blanket on sleep for a sample of 8-13-year-old children with ADHD. Design: Case-control study. Setting: A child and adolescent...... psychiatric department of a teaching hospital. Participants: 21 children aged 8-13 years with a diagnosis of ADHD and 21 healthy control subjects. Intervention: Sleep was monitored by parent-completed sleep diaries and 28 nights of actigraphy. For 14 of those days, the child slept with a Ball Blanket. Main...... outcome measures: The sleep latency, number of awakenings and total length of sleep was measured, as was the possible influence on parent- and teacher-rated ADHD symptom load. Results: The results of this study will show that the time it takes for a child to fall asleep is shortened when using a Ball...

The prediction of materials lifetime in the preconceptual Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Accelerator-Based Conversion of Plutonium (ABC) is of utmost interest. Because Hastelloy N showed good corrosion resistance to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Molten Salt Reactor Experiment fuel salt that is similar to the LANL ABC fuel salt, Hastelloy N was originally proposed for the LANL ABC blanket material. In this paper, the possibility of using 304 stainless steel as a replacement for the Hastelloy N is investigated in terms of corrosion issues and fluence-limit considerations. An attempt is made, based on the previous Fast Flux Test Facility design data, to predict the preliminary lifetime estimate of the 304 stainless steel used in the blanket region of the LANL ABC.

The UASB process among other treatment methods has been recognized as a core method of an advanced technology for environmental protection. This paper highlights the treatment of seven types of wastewaters i.e. palm oil mill effluent (POME), distillery wastewater, slaughterhouse wastewater, piggery wastewater, dairy wastewater, fishery wastewater and municipal wastewater (black and gray) by UASB process. The purpose of this study is to explore the pollution load of these wastewaters and their treatment potential use in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket process. The general characterization of wastewater, treatment in UASB reactor with operational parameters and reactor performance in terms of COD removal and biogas production are thoroughly discussed in the paper. The concrete data illustrates the reactor configuration, thus giving maximum awareness about upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for further research. The future aspects for research needs are also outlined.

A detailed two-dimensional nucleonic analysis was performed for a conceptual first wall, blanket, and shield design for the Compact Reversed-Field Pinch Reactor. The design includes significant two-dimensional aspects presented by the limiter, vacuum ducts, and coolant manifolds; these aspects seriously degrade the tritium-breeding reaction (TBR) predicted by one-dimensional calculations. A range of design change to increase the TBR were investigated within the two-dimensional analysis. The results of this investigation indicated that an adequate TBR could be achieved with a thinning copper first wall, a (6)Li enrichment near 90%, the proper selection of reflector, and a small addition to the blanket thickness, determined by the one-dimensional analysis.

In this paper we analyse a sandwich-type blanket configuration of W/EUROFER for DEMO first wall under steady-state normal operation and off-normal conditions, such as vertical displacements and runaway electrons. The heat deposition and consequent erosion of the tungsten armour is modelled under condition of helium cooling of the first wall blanket module and by taking into account the conversion of the magnetic energy stored in the runaway electron current into heat through the ohmic dissipation of the return current induced in the metallic armour structure. It is shown that under steady-state DEMO operation the first wall sandwich type module will tolerate heat loads up to ∼14 MW/m{sup 2}. It will also sustain the off-normal events, apart from the hot vertical displacement events, which will melt the tungsten armour surface.

In this paper we analyse a sandwich-type blanket configuration of W/EUROFER for DEMO first wall under steady-state normal operation and off-normal conditions, such as vertical displacements and runaway electrons. The heat deposition and consequent erosion of the tungsten armour is modelled under condition of helium cooling of the first wall blanket module and by taking into account the conversion of the magnetic energy stored in the runaway electron current into heat through the ohmic dissipation of the return current induced in the metallic armour structure. It is shown that under steady-state DEMO operation the first wall sandwich type module will tolerate heat loads up to ˜14 MW/m2. It will also sustain the off-normal events, apart from the hot vertical displacement events, which will melt the tungsten armour surface.

A liquid fluoride salt cooled, high temperature reactor having a reactor vessel with a pebble-bed reactor core. The reactor core comprises a pebble injection inlet located at a bottom end of the reactor core and a pebble defueling outlet located at a top end of the reactor core, an inner reflector, outer reflector, and an annular pebble-bed region disposed in between the inner reflector and outer reflector. The annular pebble-bed region comprises an annular channel configured for receiving pebble fuel at the pebble injection inlet, the pebble fuel comprising a combination of seed and blanket pebbles having a density lower than the coolant such that the pebbles have positive buoyancy and migrate upward in said annular pebble-bed region toward the defueling outlet. The annular pebble-bed region comprises alternating radial layers of seed pebbles and blanket pebbles.

Metallurgical examinations and hardness measurements were performed at hot isostatic pressing (HIP)-bonded regions in blanket structures made from F82H alloy in order to investigate the HIP-bondability and the influence on the microstructure due to the HIP and heat treatments which would correspond to the fabrication of an actual blanket. The metallurgical examination showed that the HIP-bonded interfaces were sufficiently diffusion-bonded without significant defects, i.e. voids and/or exfoliations, although grain coarsening was observed at a part of the HIP interfaces. Hardness was nearly equal in the coarsening region and a region without coarsening, but about a 10 Hv increase was found in a boundary in between the regions with and without coarsening. Microcrystallized grains were observed in a region about ˜6 μm from HIP interfaces, and the hardness increased by about 0.2 GPa in the region.

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels (RAFMs) are recognized as the primary candidate structural materials for fusion blanket systems. The RAFM F82H was developed in Japan with emphasis on high-temperature properties and weldability. Extensive irradiation studies have conducted on F82H, and it has the most extensive available database of irradiated and unirradiated properties of all RAFMs. The objective of this paper is to review the R and D status of F82H and to identify the key technical issues for the fabrication of an ITER test blanket module (TBM) suggested from the recent research achievements in Japan. This work clarified that the primary issues with F82H involve welding techniques and the mechanical properties of weld joints. This is the result of the distinctive nature of the joint caused by the phase transformation that occurs in the weld joint during cooling, and its impact on the design of a TBM will be discussed.

Indonesia established a deposit insurance system to maintain stability in its banking sector after the abolishment of blanket guarantees in 2005. Since the insurance premiums are fixed and flat, deposit insurance may create an incentive for banks to take more risks and transfer the risks to the deposit insurer. Using an option pricing based model of deposit insurance, we compute the fair deposit insurance premiums for all banks listed on the Indonesian stock exchange. We find evidence that ba...

Fusion science and technology has made progress in the last decades. However, commercialization of fusion reactors still faces challenges relating to higher fusion energy gain, irradiation-resistant material, and tritium self-sufficiency. Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactors (FFHR) can be introduced to accelerate the early application of fusion energy. Traditionally, FFHRs have been classified as either breeders or transmuters. Both need partition of plutonium from spent fuel, which will pose nuclear proliferation risks. A conceptual design of a Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactor for Energy (FFHR-E), which can make full use of natural uranium with lower nuclear proliferation risk, is presented. The fusion core parameters are similar to those of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. An alloy of natural uranium and zirconium is adopted in the fission blanket, which is cooled by light water. In order to model blanket burnup problems, a linkage code MCORGS, which couples MCNP4B and ORIGEN-S, is developed and validated through several typical benchmarks. The average blanket energy Multiplication and Tritium Breeding Ratio can be maintained at 10 and 1.15 respectively over tens of years of continuous irradiation. If simple reprocessing without separation of plutonium from uranium is adopted every few years, FFHR-E can achieve better neutronic performance. MCORGS has also been used to analyze the ultra-deep burnup model of Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion Fission Energy (LIFE) from LLNL, and a new blanket design that uses Pb instead of Be as the neutron multiplier is proposed. In addition, MCORGS has been used to simulate the fluid transmuter model of the In-Zinerater from Sandia. A brief comparison of LIFE, In-Zinerater, and FFHR-E will be given.

The question of the tritium recovery in water-cooled Pb17Li blankets has been under investigation for several years at JRC Ispra. The method which has been more extensively analysed is that of slowly circulating the breeder out from the blanket units and of extracting the tritium from it outside the plasma vacuum vessel by helium gas purging or vacuum degassing in a suited process apparatus. A computerized model of the tritium behaviour in the blanket units and in the extraction system was developed. It includes four submodels: (1) tritium permeation process from the breeder to the cooling water as a function of the local operative conditions (tritium concentration in Pb17Li, breeder temperature and flow rate); (2) tritium mass balance in each breeding unit; (3) tritium desorption from the breeder material to the gas phase of the extraction system; (4) tritium extraction efficiency as a function of the design parameters of the recovery apparatus. In the present paper, on the basis of this model, a parametric study of the tritium permeation rate in the cooling water and of the tritium inventory in the blanket is carried out. Results are reported and discussed in terms of dimensionless groups which describe the relative effects of the overall resistance on tritium transfer to the cooling water (with and without permeation barriers), circulating Pb17Li flow rate and extraction efficiency of the tritium recovery unit. The parametric study is extended to the recovery unit in the case of tritium extraction by helium purge or vacuum degassing in a droplet spray unit. (orig.).

This report presents results of a survey conducted by EG and G Idaho to determine facilities available to conduct thermal-hydraulic and thermomechanical testing for the Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy First Wall/Blanket/Shield Engineering Test Program. In response to EG and G queries, twelve organizations (in addition to EG and G and General Atomic) expressed interest in providing experimental facilities. A variety of methods of supplying heat is available.

Neutronics optimization calculations have been performed for thc tritium breeding blankets with solid ceramic breeder Li2O and liquid eutectie breeder Li17Pb83, respectively,based on a 2-D geometrical configuration using the Monte Carlo neutron-photon transport code MCNP/4B. The effects of beryllium, 6Li enrichment and various structural materials on Tritium Breeding Ratio have been systematically analyzed.

This report is the Proceedings of `the Sixth International Workshop on Ceramic Breeder Blanket Interactions` which was held as a workshop on ceramic breeders under Annex II of IEA Implementing Agreement on a Programme of Research and Development on Fusion Materials, and Japan-US Workshop 97FT4-01. This workshop was held in Mito city, Japan on October 22-24, 1997. About forty experts from EU, Japan, USA, and Chile attended the workshop. The scope of the workshop included the following: (1) fabrication and characterization of ceramic breeders, (2) properties data for ceramic breeders, (3) tritium release characteristics, (4) modeling of tritium behavior, (5) irradiation effects on performance behavior, (6) blanket design and R and D requirements, (7) hydrogen behavior in materials, and (8) blanket system technology and structural materials. In the workshop, information exchange was performed for fabrication technology of ceramic breeder pebbles in EU and Japan, data of various properties of Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}, tritium release behavior of Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} and Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3} including tritium diffusion, modeling of tritium release from Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3} in ITER condition, helium release behavior from Li{sub 2}O, results of tritium release irradiation tests of Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} pebbles in EXOTIC-7, R and D issues for ceramic breeders for ITER and DEMO blankets, etc. The 23 of the papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

The rotation of m/n = 2/1 tearing modes can be slowed and stopped (i.e. locked) by eddy currents induced in resistive walls in conjunction with residual error fields that provide a final ‘notch’ point. This is a particular issue in ITER with large inertia and low applied torque (m and n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers respectively). Previous estimates of tolerable 2/1 island widths in ITER found that the ITER electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) system could catch and subdue such islands before they persisted long enough and grew large enough to lock. These estimates were based on a forecast of initial island rotation using the n = 1 resistive penetration time of the inner vacuum vessel wall and benchmarked to DIII-D high-rotation plasmas, However, rotating tearing modes in ITER will also induce eddy currents in the blanket as the effective first wall that can shield the inner vessel. The closer fitting blanket wall has a much shorter time constant and should allow several times smaller islands to lock several times faster in ITER than previously considered; this challenges the ECCD stabilization. Recent DIII-D ITER baseline scenario (IBS) plasmas with low rotation through small applied torque allow better modeling and scaling to ITER with the blanket as the first resistive wall.

With increasing consumption of natural gas, the safety of liquefied natural gas (LNG) utilization has become an issue that requires a comprehensive study on the risk of LNG spillage in facilities with mitigation measures. The immediate hazard associated with an LNG spill is the vapor hazard, i.e., a flammable vapor cloud at the ground level, due to rapid vaporization and dense gas behavior. It was believed that high expansion foam mitigated LNG vapor hazard through warming effect (raising vapor buoyancy), but the boil-off effect increased vaporization rate due to the heat from water drainage of foam. This work reveals the existence of blocking effect (blocking convection and radiation to the pool) to reduce vaporization rate. The blanketing effect on source term (vaporization rate) is a combination of boil-off and blocking effect, which was quantitatively studied through seven tests conducted in a wind tunnel with liquid nitrogen. Since the blocking effect reduces more heat to the pool than the boil-off effect adds, the blanketing effect contributes to the net reduction of heat convection and radiation to the pool by 70%. Water drainage rate of high expansion foam is essential to determine the effectiveness of blanketing effect, since water provides the boil-off effect.

Full Text Available Background: A new biological domestic wastewater treatment process, which has been presented these days in activated sludge modification, is Upflow Sludge Blanket Filtration (USBF. This process is aerobic and acts by using a sludge blanket in the separator of sedimentation tank. All biological flocs and suspended solids, which are presented in the aeration basin, pas through this blanket. The performance of a single stage USBF process for treatment of domestic wastewater was studied in laboratory scale.Methods: The pilot of USBF has been made from fiberglass and the main electromechanical equipments consisted of an air com­pressor, a mixing device and two pumps for sludge return and wastewater injection. The wastewater samples used for the experiments were prepared synthetically to have qualitative characteristics similar to a typical domestic wastewater (COD= 277 mg/l, BOD5= 250 mg/l and TSS= 1 mg/l.Results: On the average, the treatment system was capable to remove 82.2% of the BOD5 and 85.7% of COD in 6 h hydraulic re­tention time (HRT. At 2 h HRT BOD and COD removal efficiencies dramatically reduced to 50% and 46.5%, respectively.Conclusion: Even by increasing the concentrations of pollutants to as high as 50%, the removal rates of all pollutants were re­mained similar to the HRT of 6 h.

It is now well-known that, from a physics standpoint, Pu, or even TRU (i.e. Pu+M.A.), originating from LEU fuel irradiated in PWRs can be multirecycled also in PWRs using MOX fuel. However, the degradation of the isotopic composition during irradiation necessitates using enriched U in conjunction with the MOX fuel either homogeneously or heterogeneously to maintain the Pu (or TRU) content at a level allowing safe operation of the reactor, i.e. below about 10%. The study is related to another possible utilization of the excess Pu produced in the blanket of a LMFBR, namely in a PWR(MOX). In this case the more Pu is bred in the LMFBR, the more PWR(MOX) it can sustain. The important difference between the Pu coming from the blanket of a LMFBR and that coming from a PWR(LEU) is its isotopic composition. The first one contains about 95% of fissile isotopes whereas the second one contains only about 65% of fissile isotopes. As it will be shown later, this difference allows the PWR fed by Pu from the LMFBR blanket to operate with natural U instead of enriched U when it is fed by Pu from PWR(LEU)

Measurements of extents of rampart ejecta deposits as a function of the size of the parent craters support models which, for craters larger than about 6 km diameter, constrain ejecta blankets to all have a similar maximum thickness regardless of the crater size. These volatile-rich ejecta blankets may have failed under their own weights, then flowed radially outward. Assuming this to be so, some of the physicomechanical properties of the ejecta deposits at the time of their emplacement can then be determined. Finite-element studies of the stress magnitudes, distributions, and directions in hypothetical Martian rampart ejecta blankets reveal that the material most likely failed when the shear stresses were less than 500 kPa and the angle of internal friction was between 26 and 36 deg. These figures imply that the ejecta has a water content between 16 and 72%. Whether the upper limit or the lower limit is more appropriate depends on the mode of failure which one presumes: namely, viscous flow of plastic deformation.

Highlights: • A complete nuclear analysis of the DEMO HCLL has been carried out at CEA with the TRIPOLI-4{sup ®} Monte Carlo code. • The DEMO tokamak model was generated by the CAD import tool McCad. • The HCLL blankets were implemented using a previous MCNP model developed at ENEA. • A good agreement is observed between the results obtained at CEA with TRIPOLI-4 and JEFF-3.1.1 and whose obtained at ENEA with MCNP and FENDL-2.1. - Abstract: This paper presents the comparison over the nuclear analysis of the European DEMO with HCLL blanket carried out with the TRIPOLI-4{sup ®} Monte Carlo code and the JEFF-3.1.1 nuclear data library and with the MCNP5 Monte Carlo code and the FENDL-2.1 nuclear data library. The MCNP5 analysis was conducted firstly by ENEA with a detailed 3D model describing all the HCLL blanket internal structures. This MCNP5 model was converted into TRIPOLI-4{sup ®} representation for performing the nuclear analysis at CEA with the objective to demonstrate consistency between both analyses. A very good agreement was obtained for all of the relevant nuclear responses (neutron wall loading, tritium breeding ratio, nuclear heating, neutron flux distribution, etc.), validating CEA’s nuclear analysis approach, based on TRIPOLI-4{sup ®} Monte Carlo code and JEFF-3.1.1 nuclear data library, for the European DEMO.

In a series of previous articles (see references) the author offered to cover a city or other important large installations or subregions by a transparent thin film supported by a small additional air overpressure under the form of an AB Dome. The building of a gigantic inflatable AB Dome over an empty flat surface is not difficult. However, if we want to cover a city, garden, forest or other obstacle course we cannot easily deploy the thin film over building or trees. In this article is suggested a new method which solves this problem. The idea is to design a double film blanket filled by light gas (for example, methane, hydrogen, or helium). Sections of this AB Blanket are lighter then air and fly in atmosphere. They can be made on a flat area (serving as an assembly area) and delivered by dirigible or helicopter to station at altitude over the city. Here they connect to the already assembled AB Blanket subassemblies, cover the city in an AB Dome and protect it from bad weather, chemical, biological and rad...

The ITER Blanket System and the Divertor are the main components which directly face the plasma. Being the first physical barrier to the plasma, they have very demanding design requirements, which include accommodating: (1) surface heat flux and neutronic volumetric heating, (2) electromagnetic loads, (3) nuclear shielding function, (4) capability of being assembled and remote-handled, (5) interfaces with other in-vessel components, and (6) high heat flux technologies and complex welded structures in the design. The main functions of the Blanket System have been substantially expanded and it has now also to provide limiting surfaces that define the plasma boundary during startup and shutdown. As regards the Divertor, the ITER Council decided in November 2013 to start the ITER operation with a full-tungsten armour in order to minimize costs and already gain operational experience with tungsten during the non-active phase of the machine. This paper gives an overview of the design and technology qualification of the Blanket System and the Divertor.

Highlights: • RAFM rectangular tubes were fabricated by cold drawing, and the dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of rectangular tubes were tested. • Rectangular tubes were bent by rotary bending, and milled plates were curved by molding. Its accuracy meets the requirement for TBM assembly. • FW were pre-sealed by electron beam welding, and assembled by hot isostatic pressing–diffusion bonding. • The as-HIPed FW mock-up was tested by optical observation and X-ray detection, it revealed obviously that the tubes and plates were bonded well. - Abstract: The dual functional lithium lead blanket is chosen as one of the candidate blankets for China fusion reactor, for its advantages of tritium breeding and good heat exchange performance. As one of the most important components of the blanket, the first wall (FW) is assembled with China low activation martensitic (CLAM) rectangular tubes and plates by hot isostatic pressing (HIP)–diffusion bonding (DB). In this work, the rectangular tube fabrication and FW assembly were carried out in order to verify the feasibility of the FW fabrication scheme. The mechanical property and dimensional accuracy of CLAM rectangular tubes were tested, the microstructure observation and non-destructive detection revealed the sound of the FW mock-up, and the reliability of the FW mock-ups is under evaluation.

This study assesses the feasibility of designing Seed and Blanket (S&B) Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) to generate a significant fraction of the core power from radial thorium fueled blankets that operate on the Breed-and-Burn (B&B) mode without exceeding the radiation damage constraint of presently verified cladding materials. The S&B core is designed to maximize the fraction of neutrons that radially leak from the seed (or “driver”) into the subcritical blanket and reduce neutron loss via axial leakage. The blanket in the S&B core makes beneficial use of the leaking neutrons for improved economics and resource utilization. A specific objective of this study is to maximize the fraction of core power that can be generated by the blanket without violating the thermal hydraulic and material constraints. Since the blanket fuel requires no reprocessing along with remote fuel fabrication, a larger fraction of power from the blanket will result in a smaller fuel recycling capacity and lower fuel cycle cost per unit of electricity generated. A unique synergism is found between a low conversion ratio (CR) seed and a B&B blanket fueled by thorium. Among several benefits, this synergism enables the very low leakage S&B cores to have small positive coolant voiding reactivity coefficient and large enough negative Doppler coefficient even when using inert matrix fuel for the seed. The benefits of this synergism are maximized when using an annular seed surrounded by an inner and outer thorium blankets. Among the high-performance S&B cores designed to benefit from this unique synergism are: (1) the ultra-long cycle core that features a cycle length of ~7 years; (2) the high-transmutation rate core where the seed fuel features a TRU CR of 0.0. Its TRU transmutation rate is comparable to that of the reference Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR) with CR of 0.5 and the thorium blanket can generate close to 60% of the core power; but requires only one sixth of the reprocessing and

The aim of this article is apply of Formal Concept Analysis on concept of world. Formal concept analysis (FCA) as a methodology of data analysis, information management and knowledge representation has potential to be applied to a verity of linguistic problems. FCA is mathematical theory for concepts and concept hierarchies that reflects an understanding of concept. Formal concept analysis explicitly formalizes extension and intension of a concept, their mutual relationships. A distinguishing feature of FCA is an inherent integration of three components of conceptual processing of data and knowledge, namely, the discovery and reasoning with concepts in data, discovery and reasoning with dependencies in data, and visualization of data, concepts, and dependencies with folding/unfolding capabilities.

Highlights: • Thermo-hydraulic calculation in the TBM at the water ingress event has been done. • Shielding calculations for the ITER equatorial port #18 were conducted by using C-lite model. • Prototypic pebbles of Be{sub 17}Ti{sub 2} and Be{sub 12}V had a good oxidation property similar to Be{sub 12}Ti pebble. • Li rich Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebbles were successfully fabricated using the emulsion method by controlling sintering atmosphere. • New tritium production/recovery experiments at FNS have been started by using ionization chamber as on-line gas monitor. - Abstract: The development of a water cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) test blanket module (TBM) is being performed as one of the most important steps toward DEMO blanket in Japan. For the TBM testing and development of DEMO blanket, R&D has been performed on the module fabrication technology, breeder and multiplier pebble fabrication technology, tritium production rate evaluation, as well as structural and safety design activities. The fabrication of full-scale first wall, side walls, breeder pebble bed box and back wall was completed, and assembly of TBM with box structure was successfully achieved. Development of advanced breeder and multiplier pebbles for higher chemical stability was continued for future DEMO blanket application. From the view point of TBM test result evaluation and DEMO blanket performance design, the development of the blanket tritium transport simulation technology, investigation of the TBM neutron measurement technology and the evaluation of the tritium production and recovery test using D-T neutron in the fusion neutron source (FNS) facility has been performed. This paper provides an overview of the recent achievements of the development of the WCCB Blanket in Japan.

Highlights: • We present the way of modeling transient electro-magnetic loads on local conductive domains in the large magnetic system. • Simplification is achieved by decomposing of the problem, multi-scale integral-differential modeling and use of integral parameters. • The intrinsic scale of loads on a localized conductor with eddy is quantified through the load susceptibility tensor. • Solution is searched as response of a simple equivalent dynamic simulator, using control theory methods. • The concept is exemplified with multi-scenario assessment of EM eddy loads on ITER blanket modules. - Abstract: The complexity of the electromagnetic (EM) response of the tokamak structures is one of the key and design-driving issues for the ITER. We consider the specifics of the assessment of ponderomotive forces, acting on local components of a large electro-physical device during electromagnetic transients. A strategy and approach is proposed for the operative EM loads modeling and analysis that enables design optimization at early phases of development. The paper describes a method of principal simplification of the mathematical model, based on the analysis and exploiting specific features and peculiarities of the relevant technical problem, determined by the design and operation of the device and system under consideration. The application of the method for predictive EM loads analysis and corresponding numerical calculations are exemplified for the localized ITER blanket components — shield modules. The example demonstrates the efficiency of EM load analysis in complex electromagnetic systems via a set of simplified models with different scope, contents and level of detail.

Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater offers the prospect of a new paradigm by reducing aeration costs and minimizing sludge production. It has been successfully applied in warm climates, but does not always achieve the desired outcomes in temperate climates at the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) values of municipal crude wastewater. Recently the concept of ‘fortification' has been proposed to increase organic strength and has been demonstrated at the laboratory and pilot scale treating municipal wastewater at temperatures of 10–17°C. The process treats a proportion of the flow anaerobically by combining it with primary sludge from the residual flow and then polishing it to a high effluent standard aerobically. Energy consumption is reduced as is sludge production. However, no new treatment process is viable if it only addresses the problems of traditional pollutants (suspended solids – SS, BOD, nitrogen – N and phosphorus – P); it must also treat hazardous substances. This study compared three potential municipal anaerobic treatment regimes, crude wastewater in an expanded granular sludge blanket (EGSB) reactor, fortified crude wastewater in an EGSB and crude wastewater in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor. The benefits of fortification were demonstrated for the removal of SS, BOD, N and P. These three systems were further challenged with the removal of steroid estrogens at environmental concentrations from natural indigenous sources. All three systems removed these compounds to a significant degree, confirming that estrogen removal is not restricted to highly aerobic autotrophs, or aerobic heterotrophs, but is also a faculty of anaerobic bacteria. PMID:26212345

The design of the Test Blanket Modules for ITER and the breeding blanket for DEMO requires robust and accurate modeling tools. Transport phenomena through the blanket tritium cycle are complex and involve a large number of physical properties and parameters, many of which have not been determined yet with a level of accuracy adequate for design optimization. Similarly, the use of simplified models with experimentally determined lumped coefficients allows satisfactory predictions only in very limited range of operative conditions, strongly reducing their potential to be relevant to the DEMO design. Within the European Union fusion program a road map to develop such modeling tools has been defined with the purpose of supporting the design of the ITER Tritium Blanket System and to exploit the TBM experimental testing for extrapolation to DEMO. The roadmap includes the development of the simulation tools as well as the supporting validation and verification experiments that must be carried out in parallel. This paper gives an overview of the state of the art of tritium modeling tools for blanket design, proposes a structure of the tritium modeling tools in order to facilitate their development and identifies a realistic work plan to achieve their final delivery.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The design integration of two test blanket systems in ITER port cell is addressed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Definition of interfaces of TBSs with building and other ITER systems is done. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Designs of pipe forest, bioshield plug and ancillary equipment unit are described. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The maintenance of the two test blanket systems in ITER port cell is considered. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The management of the heat and tritium releases in the TBM port cell is described. - Abstract: In the framework of the TBM Program, three ITER vacuum vessel equatorial ports (no. 16, no. 18 and no. 02) have been allocated for the testing of up to six mock-ups of six different DEMO tritium breeding blankets. Each one is called a Test Blanket System (TBS). A TBS consists mainly of the Test Blanket Module (TBM), the in-vessel component facing the plasma, and several ancillary systems, in particular the cooling system and the tritium extraction system. Each port accommodates two TBMs and therefore the two TBSs have to share the corresponding port cell. This paper deals with the design integration aspects of the two TBSs in each port cell performed at ITER Organization (IO) with the corresponding definition of interfaces with other ITER systems. The performed activities have raised several issues that are discussed in the paper and for which design solutions are proposed.

Korean helium cooled ceramic reflector (HCCR) test blanket module set (TBM-set) will be installed at equatorial port #18 of Vacuum Vessel in ITER in order to test the breeding blanket performance for forthcoming fusion power plant. Since ITER tokamak has a set of electromagnetic coils (Central Solenoid, Poloidal Field and Toroidal Field coil set) around Vacuum Vessel, the HCCR TBM-set, the TBM and associated shield, is greatly influenced by magnetic field generated by these coils. In the case of fast transient electromagnetic events such as major disruption, vertical displacement event or magnet fast discharge, magnetic field and induced eddy current results in huge electromagnetic load, known as Lorentz load, on the HCCR TBM-set. In addition, the TBM-set experiences electromagnetic load due to magnetization of the structural material not only during the fast transient events but also during normal operation since the HCCR TBM adopts Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic (RAFM) steel as a structural material. This is known as Maxwell load which includes Lorentz load as well as load due to magnetization of structure material. This paper presents electromagnetic analysis results for the HCCR TBM-set. For analysis, a 20° sector finite model was constructed considering ITER configuration such as Vacuum Vessel, ITER shield blankets, Central Solenoid, Poloidal Field, Toroidal Field coil set as well as the HCCR TBM-set. Three major disruptions (operational event, likely event and highly unlikely event) were selected for analysis based on the load specifications. ANSYS-EMAG was used as a calculation tool. The results of EM analysis will be used as input data for the structural analysis.

The mechanisms which may lead to the departure of molecular species from surfaces exposed to low energy (0.1-100 eV) particle or photon and electron irradiation are reviewed. Where possible, the charge and electronic state, angular, translational and internal energy distributions of the departing molecules are described and the physical origin of the nature of those distributions identified. The consequences, for the departing molecules, of certain material choices become apparent from such an analysis. Such information may help guide the choice of appropriate materials for plasma facing components of gas-blanket type divertors such as that recently proposed for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). (author). 71 refs.

To obtain and analyze the detailed design and manufacturing technology of the blanket system for each components, the related data are collected through the various sources. And also, design processes and results of the FWs, shield blocks, and TBMs are investigated. From these analysis of the blanket R and D status of each party, we develop the KO R and D plan and it is used in the selection of manufacturing method and the materials. For the ITA16-10 subtask1, we had the official agreement with ITER IT in December 2004 for the qualification of the FW panel fabrication methods and to establish the NDT methods for the FW panel. From the technical reports we published, we compare the manufacturing methods and the proposed material for each component according to the parties. Be is proposed as a plasma facing material and most parties have interest in S-65C. Cu alloy is proposed as a heat sink material and DSCu or CuCrZr are investigated now. For the structural material, stainless steel such as SS316L(N) is investigated internationally. HIP and brazing are proposed as the manufacturing methods. In order to establish the blanket system technology, design contents of shield block by ITER IT and other parties were investigated through participating the international workshop and meeting, dispatching the researcher to the ITER IT or other parties to collect the drafting and 3D modeling files. The modification items of blanket design were investigated and a researcher was dispatched in the ITER IT and participated in the analysis on cooling problem in shield block such as front header and drilled manifold. To investigate the development status of TBM, we participated the 14th TBWG meeting and proposed the KO HCSB and HCML as candidates. And also, we obtain the R and D results of other parties and make document about the R and D status of other parties for the TBM. Finally, we establish the KO TBM R and D plan and proposed it to ITER IT and other parties. In which, the

The capabilities of a facility, brought into service to collect data on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, pertinent to liquid metal cooled fusion reactor blankets, are presented. The facility, design to extend significantly the existing data base on liquid metal MHD, employs eutectic NaK as the working fluid in a room temperature closed loop. The instrumentation system is capable of collecting detailed data on pressure, voltage, and velocity distributions at any axial position within the base of a 2 Tesla conventional magnet. The axial magnetic field distribution can be uniform or varying with either rapid or slow spatial variations.

The work performed was primarily concerned with the preparation of the experiments to be performed on the Fast Breeder Blanket Facility (FBBF) and the corresponding analysis. The work on the experimental program has been started. Since experiments are subject to safety constraints, a safety investigation program (for a hypothetically flooded facility) is reported. The neutronics part of the preanalysis is also reported. The testing of the first configuration has largely been prepared. The identification of the experiment need has been worked on extensively, largely through unsponsored research which had been started before the contract became effective. The work done in this area by other groups is being reviewed.

Thermal extraction was used to quantify extracellular polymers (ECP) in granules from anaerobic upflow reactors. The optimal time for extraction was determined as the time needed before the intracellular material gives a significant contribution to the extracted extracellular material due to cell...... of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor from a sugar-containing waste-water to a synthetic waste-water containing acetate, propionate and butyrate resulted in a decrease in both the protein and polysaccharide content and an increase in the lipid content of the extracellular material. Furthermore...

The water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket (WCCB) is one of the blanket candidates for China fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR). In order to improve power generation efficiency and tritium breeding ratio, WCCB with superheated steam is under development. The thermal-hydraulic design is the key to achieve the purpose of safe heat removal and efficient power generation under normal and partial loading operation conditions. In this paper, the coolant flow scheme was designed and one self-developed analytical program was developed, based on a theoretical heat transfer model and empirical correlations. Employing this program, the design and analysis of related thermal-hydraulic parameters were performed under different fusion power conditions. The results indicated that the superheated steam water-cooled blanket is feasible. supported by the National Special Project for Magnetic Confined Nuclear Fusion Energy of China (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2014GB122000 and 2014GB119000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Based on the structure design and results of neutronics analysis of the CH HCSB TBM (Chinese helium cooled solidbreeder test blanket module), thermal hydraulic and mechanical analyses have been carried out. Results show that the design of the CH HCSB TBM is reasonable and acceptable.

Since its launch in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has made many important observations from its vantage point in low Earth orbit (LEO). However, as seen during five servicing missions, the outer layer of multilayer insulation (MLI) has become increasingly embrittled and has cracked in many areas. In May 2009, during the 5th servicing mission (called SM4), two MLI blankets were replaced with new insulation and the space-exposed MLI blankets were retrieved for degradation analyses by teams at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The retrieved MLI blankets were from Equipment Bay 8, which received direct sunlight, and Equipment Bay 5, which received grazing sunlight. Each blanket was divided into several regions based on environmental exposure and/or physical appearance. The aluminized-Teflon (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) fluorinated ethylene propylene (Al-FEP) outer layers of the retrieved MLI blankets have been analyzed for changes in optical, physical, and mechanical properties, along with chemical and morphological changes. Pristine and as-retrieved samples (materials) were heat treated to help understand degradation mechanisms. When compared to pristine material, the analyses have shown how the Al-FEP was severely affected by the space environment. Most notably, the Al-FEP was highly embrittled, fracturing like glass at strains of 1 to 8 percent. Across all measured properties, more significant degradation was observed for Bay 8 material as compared to Bay 5 material. This paper reviews the tensile and bend-test properties, density, thickness, solar absorptance, thermal emittance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) elemental composition measurements, surface and crack morphologies, and atomic oxygen erosion yields of the Al-FEP outer layer of the retrieved HST blankets after 19 years of space exposure.

A conceptual design study of a high power density blanket was carried out. The blanket is cooled by high-pressure helium in tubes in the form of cooling panels. A great number of cooling panels is arranged inside the blanket yet maintaining a fairly simple configuration. The module is robust and fabricable. The concept of LiPb eutectic/transuranium oxide suspension is adopted. The neutronics design is performed giving a flattened power density distribution with the peak value of 70 W/cm3. Thermal analysis shows the design can satisfy technical requirements. Preliminary structural analysis has also been done.%进行了高功率密度包层的概念设计研究。包层冷却采用管道承压的氦气。虽然引入了众多的氦冷却管道，包层结构仍然比较简单、坚固并便于制造。采用了超铀氧化物颗粒悬浮在锂铅共熔体的方案，中子学计算给出峰值功率密度为70 MW*m-3，功率密度分布比较平坦。热工分析计算表明设计能满足技术要求。此外，进行了初步的结构分析计算。

A key feasibility issue for the ITER Vanadium/Lithium breeding blanket is the question of insulator coatings. Design calculations show that an electrically insulating layer is necessary to maintain an acceptably low MHD pressure drop. To enable experimental investigations of the MHD performance of candidate insulator materials and the technology for putting them in place, the room-temperature ALEX (Argonne`s Liquid Metal EXperiment) NaK facility was upgraded to a 300{degrees}C lithium system. The objective of this upgrade was to modify the existing facility to the minimum extent necessary, consistent with providing a safe, flexible, and easy to operate MHD test facility which uses lithium at ITER-relevant temperatures, Hartmann numbers, and interaction parameters. The facility was designed to produce MHD pressure drop data, test section voltage distributions, and heat transfer data for mid-scale test sections and blanket mockups. The system design description for this lithium upgrade of the ALEX facility is given in this document.

Highlights: • Clarify the components that will degrade by gamma ray irradiation. • Perform the irradiation tests to BRHS components. • Optimize the materials to increase the radiation hardness. - Abstract: The ITER blanket remote handling system (BRHS) will be operated in a high radiation environment (250 Gy/h max.) and must stably handle the blanket modules, which weigh 4.5 t and are more than 1.5 m in length, with a high degree of position and posture accuracy. The reliability of the system can be improved by reviewing the failure events of the system caused by high radiation. A failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) identified failure modes and determined that lubricants, O-rings, and electric insulation cables were the dominant components affecting radiation hardness. Accordingly, we tried to optimize the lubricants and cables of the AC servo motors by using polyphenyl ether (PPE)-based grease and polyether ether ketone (PEEK), respectively. Materials containing radiation protective agents were also selected for the cable sheaths and O-rings to improve radiation hardness. Gamma ray irradiation tests were performed on these components and as a result, a radiation hardness of 8 MGy was achieved for the AC servo motors. On the other hand, to develop the radiation hardness and BRHS compatibility furthermore, the improvement of materials of cable and O ring were performed.

Pre-conceptual fusion blanket designs require research and development to reflect important proposed changes in the design of essential systems, and the new challenges they impose on related fuel cycle systems. One attractive feature of using liquid lithium as the breeder and coolant is that it has very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns. If the chemical reactivity of lithium could be overcome, the result would have a profound impact on fusion energy and associated safety basis. The overriding goal of this project is to develop a lithium-based alloy that maintains beneficial properties of lithium (e.g. high tritium breeding and solubility) while reducing overall flammability concerns. To minimize the number of alloy combinations that must be explored, only those alloys that meet certain nuclear performance metrics will be considered for subsequent thermodynamic study. The specific scope of this study is to evaluate the neutronics performance of lithium-based alloys in the blanket of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) engine. The results of this study will inform the development of lithium alloys that would guarantee acceptable neutronics performance while mitigating the chemical reactivity issues of pure lithium.

Full Text Available An application of deuteride moderator for fast reactor cores is proposed for power flattening that can mitigate thermal spikes and alleviate the decrease in breeding ratio, which sometimes occurs when hydrogen moderator is applied as a moderator. Zirconium deuteride is employed in a form of pin arrays at the inner most rows of radial blanket fuel assemblies, which works as a reflector in order to flatten the radial power distribution in the outer core region of MONJU. The power flattening can be utilized to increase core average burn-up by increasing operational time. The core characteristics have been evaluated with a continuous-energy model Monte Carlo code MVP and the JENDL-3.3 cross-section library. The result indicates that the discharged fuel burn-up can be increased by about 7% relative to that of no moderator in the blanket region due to the power flattening when the number of deuteride moderator pins is 61. The core characteristics and core safety such as void reactivity, Doppler coefficient, and reactivity insertion that occurred at dissolution of deuteron were evaluated. It was clear that the serious drawback did not appear from the viewpoints of the core characteristics and core safety.

Highlights: • This paper summarizes the technical baseline and preliminary design of EU TBM Neutron Activation System, briefly describes the key components, and outlines the major integration challenges. - Abstract: The Neutron Activation System (NAS) for the EU Helium Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) and Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Test Blanket Systems (TBSs) is an instrument that is proposed to determine the absolute neutron fluence and absolute neutron flux with information on the neutron spectrum in selected positions of the corresponding Test Blanket Modules (TBMs). In the NAS activation probes are exposed to the ITER neutron flux for periods ranging from several tens of seconds up to a full plasma pulse length, and the induced gamma activities are subsequently measured. The NAS is composed of a pneumatic transfer system and a counting station. The pneumatic transfer system includes irradiation ends in TBMs, transfer pipes, return gas pipes, a transfer station with a distributor (carousel), and a pressurized gas driving system, while the counting station consists of gamma ray detectors, signal processing electronic devices, and data analyzing software for neutron source strength evaluation. In this paper, a brief description on the proposed TBM NAS as well as the key components is presented, and the integration challenges of TBM NAS are outlined.

The choice of a blanket fuel cycle technology and the fuel type for HYPER/ATW are important to develop an ADS with better economics, performance and safety. Even though several fuel types have been considered as an alternative of the blanket fuels for HYPER/ATW, the metal alloy and the dispersion fuels were selected as the candidate fuels for ADS, and the technical feasibilities for both fuels are evaluated in this report. General performance characteristics, fabrication abilities, technical aspects, safety aspects, economics, and non-proliferation aspects for each fuel type are reviewed and evaluated. And some technological problems are addressed in this report, focused on the development strategy, the roadmaps, and the flexibility to meet the missions and specific designs. This study has been performed at the first stage of conceptual design. Since it is under the lack of physical properties for each fuel material, no an attempt is made to select the best fuel option, but the more better fuel options are recommended.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Definition of a suitable configuration for the Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} breeding blanket design. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Demonstration of the feasibility of Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} as a breeding material. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synthesis optimization in the Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} production. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Characterization of Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} by X-ray phase analysis is discussed. - Abstract: A neutronic assessment of the performances of a helium-cooled Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} breeding blanket (BB) for the conceptual design of a DEMO fusion reactor is given. Different BB configurations have been considered in order to minimize the amount of beryllium required for neutron multiplication, including the use of graphite as reflector material. The calculated neutronic responses: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), power deposition in TF coils and power amplification factor, indicate the feasibility of Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} as breeding material. Furthermore, the synthesis and characterization of Li{sub 8}PbO{sub 6} by X-ray phase analysis are also discussed.

Full Text Available To solve the ecological disasters in Pubugou Reservoir Fluctuating Zone, ecological blanket governance model is proposed in this paper, which may provide good early environment for plants’ survival in fluctuation zone, and then play the function of greening and sustainable development to ensure the slopes’ stability. Meanwhile, based on the result of vetiver ecological blanket in Hanyuan experimental zone, we find that three kinds of typical Fluctuating Zone slope’s greening effect is good, which includes the dirt piling up slope, the whole lump of rock slope and the gravel piling up slope, and it gets an average coverage of 90.3 % as well as good strength. Due to the different geological conditions, the ecological blankets’ governance effect differs from slope to slope. Using analytic hierarchy process to calculate the weight, we get the dirt piling up slope, the whole lump of rock slope and the gravel piling up slope’s weights are 0.41, 0.17, 0.42, respectively, namely, the dirt piling up slope and the gravel piling up slope have good results overall, followed by the whole lump of rock slope.

The Fusion-Driven Sub-critical System (FDS) is one of the Chinese programs to be further developed for fusion application. Its Dual-cooled Waste Transmutation Blanket (DWTB),as one the most important part of the FDS is cooled by helium and liquid metal, and have the features of safety, tritium self-sustaining, high efficiency and feasibility. Its conceptual design has been finished. This paper is mainly involved with the basic structure design and thermalhydraulics analysis of DWTB. On the basis of a three-dimensional (3-D) model of radial-toroidal sections of the segment box, thermal temperature gradients and structure analysis made with a comprehensive finite element method (FEM) have been performed with the computer code ANSYS5.7 and computational fluid dynamic finite element codes. The analysis refers to the steady-state operating condition of an outboard blanket segment. Furthermore, the mechanical loads due to coolant pressure in normal operating conditions have been also taken into account.All the above loads have been combined as an input for a FEM stress analysis and the resulting stress distribution has been evaluated. Finally, the structure design and Pb-17Li flow velocity has been optimized according to the calculations and analysis.

The ITER semi-prototype was designed to qualify the manufacturing technology for the ITER blanket first wall. According to the design of the semi-prototype, its fabrication is expected to face great difficulty. The blanket first wall consists of three different materials, i.e., beryllium (Be), CuCrZr, and stainless-steel (SS), which are joined into one part. For fabrication of these multi-layered structures, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), which is one of the diffusion bonding methods, has been considered as a promising technology to realize sufficient mechanical integrity of a joint under the anticipated high neutron and stress fields. HIP provides high dimensional accuracy, low residual stress during the joining process, and the joining of three-dimensionally complex structures in comparison with other joining methods. Even though the joining technology for the different materials had been developed in the first stage of the qualification, the joining is still a key issue for the fabrication of the semi-prototype

The technique of model atmosphere calculation for magnetic Ap and Bp stars with polarized radiative transfer and magnetic line blanketing is presented. A grid of model atmospheres of A and B stars are computed. These calculations are based on direct treatment of the opacities due to the bound-bound transitions that ensures an accurate and detailed description of the line absorption and anomalous Zeeman splitting. The set of model atmospheres was calculated for the field strengths between 1 and 40 kG. The high-resolution energy distribution, photometric colors and the hydrogen Balmer line profiles are computed for magnetic stars with different metallicities and are compared to those of non-magnetic reference models and to the previous paper of this series. The results of modelling confirmed the main outcomes of the previous study: energy redistribution from UV to the visual region and flux depression at 5200A. However, we found that effects of enhanced line blanketing when transfer for polarized radiation take...

Full Text Available Techniques for making materials with advanced performance attributes at the expense of blanket heterogeneous strengthening are considered. A new trend is defined in a multiple increase of performance attributes in metal materials by natural reinforcement with nanostructural and ultra-fine-grained fragments. The application of a wave strain hardening technique is substantiated for obtaining a heterogeneous structure in wide-area listed full-size products including bulky ones. A high carrying capacity of heavy-loaded material with a deep-strengthened blanket is determined.

This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report. This report documents the results of simulations of a Loss-of-Flow Accident (LOFA) where power is lost to all of the pumps that circulate water in the blanket region, the accelerator beam is shut off and neither the residual heat removal nor cavity flood systems operate.

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is the international collaboration one for the commercialization of nuclear fusion energy through the technical and engineering verification. In ITER project, we plan to procure the blanket systems which has the risk of technology and cost when it is newly developed. We are developing the manufacturing process and joining technology for the ITER blanket to complete the procurement with qualified blanket system. To evaluate the soundness of manufacturing process, specimen and mock-up tests are being prepared. Finally, we can obtain the key technology of nuclear fusion reactor especially on the blanket design, joining and manufacturing technology through the present project and these technologies will help the construction of Korea fusion DEMO reactor and the development of commercial nuclear fusion reactor in Korea. In 1st year, through the fabrication of the Cu/SS and Be/Cu joint specimen, fabrication procedure such as material preparation, canning, degassing, HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing), PHHT (Post HIP heat treatment) was established. The optimized HIP conditions (1050 .deg. C, 150 MPa, 2 hr for Cu/SS and 580 - 620 .deg. C, 100-150 MPa, 2 hr for Be/Cu) were developed through the investigation on joint specimen fabricated with the various HIP conditions; the destructive tests of joint and NDT such as UT (10 MHz, 0.25 inch D, flat type) and ECT. Several mock-ups were fabricated for confirming the joint integrity and NDT. specimens fabricated with these mock-ups were used in mechanical tests including microstructure observation. The mock-ups were used in the HHF test after the developed NDT. In 2nd year, PHHT of Cu was investigated in order to recover its mechanical properties, and the pre-qualification mock-up were fabricated against the Qualification Program and sent to RF for HHF testing in TSEFEY. FW fabrication and joining procedure were documented in the form of the TSD. Qualification mock

Water tables are an important control on carbon cycling and rates of carbon sequestration in peatland systems, and water table depth is therefore a key parameter in carbon models for blanket peat systems. Although there is a wide literature on blanket peat hydrology, including studies which specifically evaluate water table conditions, detailed data on water table behaviour and variability at the landscape scale are sparse. In particular, many British blanket peats are affected by gully erosion and this has been generally assumed to influence water table conditions. However, there has been limited evaluation of this geomomorphological control on peatland water tables. This paper presents results from a project which evaluated water table conditions in the blanket peatlands of the Peak District National Park, UK. A key aim was to quantify the impact of gully erosion on peatland water tables. A detailed programme of water table monitoring was undertaken during 2008/09, involving regular measurements of water table depth in over 530 dipwells at 19 sites across the 47 km2 peatland landscape of the Kinder Scout / Bleaklow area. This included a campaign of regular, simultaneous water table measurements from clusters of dipwells at the main sites, supplemented by continuous (hourly) water table monitoring in selected dipwells. It also included studies to evaluate within-site variation in water table conditions and local water table drawdown effects associated with gully erosion. Results indicate that gully erosion causes water table drawdown through two distinct processes. The first is local water table drawdown immediately adjacent to erosion gullies. This effect is restricted to a zone within 2 m of gully edges, and water tables within the gully edge drawdown zone are approximately 200 mm lower than in the adjacent peatland. The second effect is a more general water table lowering at eroded sites, with median water table depths at heavily eroded sites up to 300 mm lower

A transient natural convection model of the APT blanket primary heat removal (HR) system was developed to demonstrate that the blanket could be cooled for a sufficient period of time for long term cooling to be established following a loss-of-flow accident (LOFA). The particular case of interest in this report is a complete loss-of-pumping accident. For the accident scenario in which pumps are lost in both the target and blanket HR systems, natural convection provides effective cooling of the blanket for approximately 68 hours, and, if only the blanket HR systems are involved, natural convection is effective for approximately 210 hours. The heat sink for both of these accident scenarios is the assumed stagnant fluid and metal on the secondary sides of the heat exchangers.

Concept theory is an extremely broad, interdisciplinary and complex field of research related to many deep fields with very long historical traditions without much consensus. However, information science and knowledge organization cannot avoid relating to theories of concepts. Knowledge...... organizing systems (e.g. classification systems, thesauri and ontologies) should be understood as systems basically organizing concepts and their semantic relations. The same is the case with information retrieval systems. Different theories of concepts have different implications for how to construe......, evaluate and use such systems. Based on "a post-Kuhnian view" of paradigms this paper put forward arguments that the best understanding and classification of theories of concepts is to view and classify them in accordance with epistemological theories (empiricism, rationalism, historicism and pragmatism...

Highlights: • Monte Carlo calculations were performed on numerous lithium ternary alloys. • Elements with high neutron multiplication performed well with low absorbers. • Enriching lithium decreases minimum lithium concentration of alloys by 60% or more. • Alloys that performed well neutronically were selected for activation calculations. • Alloys activated, except LiBaBi, do not pose major environmental or safety concerns. - Abstract: An attractive feature of using liquid lithium as the breeder and coolant in fusion blankets is that it has very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is carrying an effort to develop a lithium-based ternary alloy that maintains the beneficial properties of lithium (e.g. high tritium breeding and solubility) and at the same time reduces overall flammability concerns. This study evaluates the neutronics performance of lithium-based alloys in the blanket of an inertial fusion energy chamber in order to inform such development. 3-D Monte Carlo calculations were performed to evaluate two main neutronics performance parameters for the blanket: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and the fusion energy multiplication factor (EMF). It was found that elements that exhibit low absorption cross sections and higher q-values such as Pb, Sn, and Sr, perform well with those that have high neutron multiplication such as Pb and Bi. These elements meet TBR constrains ranging from 1.02 to 1.1. However, most alloys do not reach EMFs greater than 1.15. Additionally, it was found that enriching lithium with {sup 6}Li significantly increases the TBR and decreases the minimum lithium concentration by more than 60%. The amount of enrichment depends on how much total lithium is in the alloy to begin with. Alloys that performed well in the TBR

Highlights: ► The ITER ICRF antenna and its surrounding blanket shield modules have been modeled with the 3D electromagnetic software Microwave Studio. ► Unexpected resonances are detected in the ITER relevant range of frequencies. ► These resonances are caused by the geometry of the modules, and in particular by the cavity at the back, between the module rear face and the port plug outer face, present in the considered model. ► Simplified modeling and transmission line computations validate this interpretation. ► The resonance is strongly dependent on the detailed geometry of the modules, but large voids should be avoided. -- Abstract: Three-dimensional electromagnetic simulations of the ITER ICRF antenna have been recently performed with the commercial code CST Microwave Studio{sup ®} (MWS) [1]. A detailed model imported from the CATIA{sup ®} file has been considered: it includes the 24 straps array (CY3.1 geometry [2]) and the surrounding blanket shield modules. The transient solver in MWS has detected the presence of a very localized peak in the input impedance matrix at a frequency of approximately 51 MHz in vacuum conditions. The presence of such a resonance in the ITER operating range of frequency is of concern and should be understood as previous analysis reported in [3] concluded that TEM and non-TEM modes are not expected in this frequency band as long as the antenna is grounded to the port at 1 m back from the antenna front face. By using a simplified model of the geometry we demonstrate that the resonance is a consequence of the considered geometry of the blanket shield modules and in particular of the cavity at the back of the modules made of the module attachment and the port plug outer face. We show that the presence of such a cavity locally increases the coaxial line impedance and allows for a TEM mode in the band. This physical analysis is supported by a transmission line model where the system made of the antenna and its surrounding

Full Text Available Abstract Background Detecting epistatic interactions associated with complex and common diseases can help to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. With the development of genome-wide association studies (GWAS, designing powerful and robust computational method for identifying epistatic interactions associated with common diseases becomes a great challenge to bioinformatics society, because the study of epistatic interactions often deals with the large size of the genotyped data and the huge amount of combinations of all the possible genetic factors. Most existing computational detection methods are based on the classification capacity of SNP sets, which may fail to identify SNP sets that are strongly associated with the diseases and introduce a lot of false positives. In addition, most methods are not suitable for genome-wide scale studies due to their computational complexity. Results We propose a new Markov Blanket-based method, DASSO-MB (Detection of ASSOciations using Markov Blanket to detect epistatic interactions in case-control GWAS. Markov blanket of a target variable T can completely shield T from all other variables. Thus, we can guarantee that the SNP set detected by DASSO-MB has a strong association with diseases and contains fewest false positives. Furthermore, DASSO-MB uses a heuristic search strategy by calculating the association between variables to avoid the time-consuming training process as in other machine-learning methods. We apply our algorithm to simulated datasets and a real case-control dataset. We compare DASSO-MB to other commonly-used methods and show that our method significantly outperforms other methods and is capable of finding SNPs strongly associated with diseases. Conclusions Our study shows that DASSO-MB can identify a minimal set of causal SNPs associated with diseases, which contains less false positives compared to other existing methods. Given the huge size of genomic dataset

The performance of a laboratory-scale sewage treatment system composed of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) at a temperature of (22-35 A degrees C) was evaluated. The entire treatment system was operated at different hydraulic retention times

... Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization; Rockland Wind Farm, LLC This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding of Rockland Wind Farm, LLC's application for market-based rate... filings in the above-referenced proceeding are accessible in the Commission's eLibrary system by clicking...

A LOCA in a blanket design proposed for NET (Next European Torus) is investigated. The structural analysis of a damaged breeder unit shows that this first containment barrier has a high probability of survival to this accident. The radioactive sources involved are evaluated and an assessment is made of all containment barriers and associated protection systems.

Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services are critically dependent on the quality of underpinning science. While key ecological processes may be understood, translating this understanding into quantitative relationships suitable for use in an ecosystem services context remains challenging. Using blanket bogs as a case study, we derived quantitative 'pressure-response functions' linking anthropogenic pressures (drainage, burning, sulphur and nitrogen deposition) with ecosystem functio...

The purpose of this study is to simulate thermal-hydraulic behavior of a single blanket module when plasma disruption occurs. Plasma disruptions, such as vertical displacement events (VDE), with high heat flux can cause melting and vaporization of plasma facing materials and also burnout of coolant channels. The thermal design, evaluation and validation have been performed in order to establish the conceptual design guidelines of the water-cooled breeding blanket for the K-DEMO reactor. As a part of the NFRI research, Seoul National University (SNU) is conducting transient thermal-hydraulic analysis to confirm the integrity of blanket system for plasma disruption events. Vertical displacement events (VDE) with high heat flux can cause melting and vaporization of plasma facing materials (PFCs) and also burnout of coolant channels. In order to simulate melting of first wall in blanket module when VDE occurs, one-dimensional heat conduction equations were solved numerically with modification of the specific heat of the first wall materials using effective heat capacity method. Temperature profiles in first wall for VDE are shown in fig 7 - 9. At first, temperature of tungsten rapidly raised and even exceeded its melting temperature. When VDE just ended at 0.1 second, 0.83 mm thick of tungsten melted. But the other materials including vanadium and RAFM didn't exceed their melting temperatures after 500 seconds.

作为国际热核聚变实验堆(ITER)的重要部件之一,屏蔽包层承受高强度聚变中子辐照,需要定期更换和维修。当活化的屏蔽包层从 ITER 托卡马克装置移到热室时,可能会给工作人员造成严重的辐射照射,是 ITER大厅和热室屏蔽设计的重要辐射源。文中基于 ITER最新中子学分析基准模型和“二步法”停堆剂量计算方法,使用超级蒙特卡罗核计算仿真软件系统 SuperMC针对15号屏蔽包层建立精细的中子学模型,并计算分析包层的活化情况及最严重情况下的周围辐射剂量率,并初步应用于 ITER赤道窗口室的屏蔽分析。计算结果显示,单个包层周围最大剂量率为350 Sv/hr,当传送小车停留在赤道窗口室内时,窗口室屏蔽门外剂量率高于10 mSv/hr,不足以满足设计要求。%As one of the key components of the International thermonuclear experiment reactor (ITER),blankets will sustain radiation from fusion neutrons with high intensity and may need to be replaced and maintained regularly. During the maintenance,the cask with activated blankets will be transferred to hot cell from Tokamak,which will cause high level of radiation in the building and radiation exposure for workers. Employing the Super Monte Carlo Simulation Program for Nuclear and Radiation Process (SuperMC),the activation of No.1 5 shielding blanket and the shutdown dose around was analyzed based on the latest ITER neutronics model named Blite-3. The results were applied in the shielding analysis for ITER equatorial port cell. From the results,the dose rate around one activated blanket should be as high as 350 Sv/hr. When the cask carrying four activated first walls was transferred to the equatorial port cell,the dose rate in the gallery outside the port cell could be more than 10 mSv/hr,not meeting with the design criteria.

Disk compact specimens of candidate materials for first wall/blanket structures in ITER have been irradiated to damage levels of about 3 dpa at nominal irradiation temperatures of either 90 250{degrees}C. These specimens have been tested over a temperature range from 20 to 250{degrees}C to determine J-integral values and tearing moduli. The results show that irradiation at these temperatures reduces the fracture toughness of austenic stainless steels, but the toughness remains quite high. The toughness decreases as the temperature increases. Irradiation at 250{degrees}C is more damaging that at 90{degrees}C, causing larger decreases in the fracture toughness. The ferritic-martensitic steels HT-9 and F82H show significantly greater reductions in fracture toughness that the austenitic stainless steels.

Highlights: • The use of human modeling tools for piping design in view of maintenance is discussed. • A possible preliminary layout for TBM subsystems in CVCS area has been designed with CATIA. • A DHM-based method to quickly check for maintainability of piping systems is suggested. - Abstract: This paper explores a possible integration of some ancillary systems of helium-cooled lithium lead (HCLL) and helium-cooled pebble-bed (HCPB) test blanket modules in ITER CVCS area. Computer-aided design and ergonomics simulation tools have been fundamental not only to define suitable routes for pipes, but also to quickly check for maintainability of equipment and in-line components. In particular, accessibility of equipment and systems has been investigated from the very first stages of the design using digital human models. In some cases, the digital simulations have resulted in changes in the initial space reservations.

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel, like F82H has been developed as a structural material for in vessel components because of its superior resistance to irradiation damage. As a blanket fabrication process, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) bonding has the great merit of near-net-shaping processing. The degassing conditions and surface roughness were investigated as parameters of HIP conditions. Although the surface roughness and degassing conditions had slight effects on tensile properties, the lack of degassing caused significant degradation of impact properties. A dissimilar metal joint between sintered tungsten and F82H was fabricated by a spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. The joint had no defects in spite of the large difference in thermal expansion coefficient between tungsten and F82H. It is considered that formation of a compliant layer of the ferritic phase can lead to successful bonding for the tungsten and F82H joint even without an artificial interlayer.

The Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor is widely applied anaerobic wastewater treatment method all over the world. Uniform distribution of wastewater at reactor bottom is necessary to establish proper contact between sludge and wastewater. In addition, proper functioning of Gas-Liquid-Solid (GLS) separator is crucial to ensure maximum sludge retention in the reactor and to achieve maximum COD removal rate in the reactor. Hence, proper design of reactor is necessary for appropriate functioning of various components for a given wastewater flow rate and COD concentration. The design procedure for UASB reactor taking due consideration to the GLS design and design of inlet arrangement is discussed in this paper for various wastewater strength and flow rates. A software is developed to make economical design of UASB reactor for different type of wastewater by adopting maximum loading conditions, based on literature recommendations, and at the same time to satisfy all design recommendation, as far as possible.

Maintenance of denitrifying granular sludge for treating soft groundwater (total hardness = 75 mg calcium carbonate/L) in an upflow sludge-blanket reactor was demonstrated with complete removal of applied nitrate (20 mg N/L) over extended operation and a hydraulic residence time of 34 minutes. A high pH of approximately 9.0 was shown to be important for generation of mineral precipitation needed for production of heavy granular sludge with good retention characteristics. As a method of increasing precipitation potential, pH adjustment was determined to be more economically favorable than calcium or alkalinity supplementation. In addition, temporary increases in substrate loading were shown to be effective for enhancing biomass levels in a manageable granular sludge. The significance of biomass in promoting mineral precipitation was discussed.

For replacement of the first wall (FW) of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER), cutting and welding tools for the cooling pipes must be able to access a pipe from the surface side of the FW and cut/weld the pipe from the inside the cooling pipe (inner diameter: 42.72 mm, thickness: 2.77 mm). The cutting tool for the pipe end is required to cut a flat plate circularly from the surface side of the FW (cutting diameter: approximately 44 mm, plate thickness: 5 mm). To determine the specifications for both the tools and the blanket hydraulic connections, the ITER Organization (IO) and the Japan Domestic Agency (JADA) conducted research and development activities regarding the FW replacement. This paper describes the current status of the development of cutting tools for the cooling pipe connection.

For the development of Reduced Activation Ferritic-Martensitic Steel (RAFMS), for the Indian Test Blanket Module for ITER, a 3-phase programme has been adopted. The first phase consists of melting and detailed characterization of a laboratory scale heat conforming to Eurofer 97 composition, to demonstrate the capability of the Indian industry for producing fusion grade steel. In the second phase which is currently in progress, the chemical composition will be optimized with respect to tungsten and tantalum for better combination of mechanical properties. Characterization of the optimized commercial scale India-specific RAFM steel will be carried out in the third phase. The first phase of the programme has been successfully completed and the tensile, impact and creep properties are comparable with Eurofer 97. Laser and electron beam welding parameters have been optimized and welding consumables were developed for Narrow Gap - Gas Tungsten Arc welding and for laser-hybrid welding.

Full Text Available Since the late 1960s, the occurrence of Schoenus nigricans in Irish blanket bogs has been attributed to inputs of salt spray to the blanket bogs, due to their proximity to the coast and the predominant westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean. To test this hypothesis we carried out an ecohydrological field study at a large blanket bog in the western part of Connemara, Ireland. We described peat profiles in two transects and sampled pore water from peat at different depths. The water samples were analysed and their macro-ionic composition was used to locate possible inputs of calcareous groundwater to the system. We found clear evidence for inflow of calcareous groundwater at various sites and depths. Inflow of rather base-rich groundwater was indicated by high values of electrical conductivity (EC, high contents of calcium and bicarbonate, and high pH of the pore water. The peat profiles contained macro-remains of reed (Phragmites australis, in most cases only in deeper layers of peat, but at one location throughout the profile. This is another indication that the blanket bog was a groundwater-fed fen for quite some time. We conclude that the occurrence of S. nigricans in the blanket bog studied could be well explained by the hypothesis that S. nigricans is a relic from former more base-rich conditions. Relatively high base saturation could have persisted due to the prevailing groundwater flow in the upper layers preventing decalcification or other loss of cations from the whole soil profile including the topsoil.

The Helium-Cooled Lithium Lead Test Blanket Module (HCLL-TBM) is one of the two TBM to be installed in an ITER equatorial port since day 1 of operation, with the specific aim to investigate the main concept functionalities and issues such as high efficiency helium cooling, resistance to thermo-mechanical stresses, manufacturing techniques, as well as tritium transport, magneto-hydrodynamics effects and corrosion. In particular, in order to show a DEMO-relevant thermo-mechanical and thermal-hydraulic behavior, the HCLL-TBM has to meet several requirements especially as far as its coolant thermofluid-dynamic conditions and its thermal-mechanical field are concerned. The present paper is focused on the assessment of the HCLL-TBM thermal-mechanical performances under both nominal and accidental load conditions, by adopting a computational approach based on the Finite Element Method. A realistic 3D finite element model of the whole HCLL-TBM, in the horizontal first wall design has been set up, consisting of about 597,000 elements and 767,000 nodes. In particular, since the thermal fields of both the module and the coolant are strictly coupled, the helium flow domain has been modeled too and a thermal contact model has been set up to properly simulate the convective heat transfer between the structure wall and the coolant. Pure conductive heat transfer has been assumed within the Pb-Li eutectic alloy of the breeder units. The volumetric density of the nuclear deposited power, recently calculated at Department of Nuclear Engineering of the University of Palermo by the MCNP 4C code, has been applied as distributed thermal load in order to assess the potential influence on the module thermo-mechanical performances of the markedly non-uniform poloidal and toroidal distributions that have been predicted within the Segment Box. Different loading scenarios have been considered as to the heat flux onto the module First Wall. Steady state and transient thermal-mechanical analyses

Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) reaction is the most practical fusion reaction on the way to harness fusion energy. As tritium presents trace quantities on Earth [1], tritium fuel is essential to be generated simultaneously with the D-T reaction in a commerical fusion power plant. Tritium can be obtained in the lithium contained breeding blanket as a transmutation product of nuclear reaction 6Li (n, a)T. Li2T iO3 is considered to be one promising candidate solid tritium breeder material, due to its high lithium density, low activation, compatiblity with structure materials and high chemical stability. The tritium generated in Li2T iO3 breeding blanket needs to be collected and recycled back to the fusion reaction. Therefore, the study of the diffusion characteristic of breeder material Li2T iO3 is necessary to determine tritium mobility and tritium extraction efficiency. In order to study tritium release mechanism of Li2T iO3 breeding material in a fusion power plant environment, a fusion like neutron spectrum is essential while it is now not availble in any laboratory. One alternative is using ion accelerator or implantor to get energetic hydrogenic (H,D,T) ions impacting on breeding material, to simulate the tritium distribution situation. Because of the radioactive property of tritium which will complicate processing procedure, another isotope of hydrogen Deuterium is actually used to be studied. The defect structure in Li2T iO3, due to reactor exposure to fusion generated particles and ? ray irradiation, is achieved by energetic Ti ions. SRIM program is implemented to simulate the D ion or Ti ion distributions after bombarding, as well as the defects. X-ray diffraction technique helps to identify phase compositions. Transmission electron microscopy technique is used to observe the microstructures (Author)

Highlights: • Electrochemical Machining is an appropriate tool for tungsten shaping. • Progress in shaping achieved by combination of ECM with advanced micro-lithography. • Application in First Wall for connection of plasma facing material to breeder blanket. • Successful development of adhesion promotors by ECM for plasma spraying interlayers. • Microstructure electrochemical manufacturing of tungsten in sizes of 100 μm achieved. - Abstract: Plasma facing components for fusion applications must have to exhibit long-term stability under extreme physical conditions, and therefore any material imperfections caused by mechanical and/or thermal stresses in the shaping processes cannot be tolerated due to a high risk of possible technical failures under fusion conditions. To avoid such defects, the method of Electrochemical Machining (ECM) enables a complete defect-free processing of removal of tungsten material during the desired shaping, also for high penetration depths. Furthermore, supported by lithographic mask pretreatment, three-dimensional distinct geometric structures can be positive-imaged via the directional galvanic dissolution applying M-ECM process into the tungsten bulk material. New required applications for tungsten components, e.g. as adhesion promotors in W-surfaces to enable sure grip and bonding of thick plasma-spraying layers for blanket components, will define the way of further miniaturization of well-established millimeter dimensioned M-ECM shaping processes to dimensions of 100 μm and furthermore down to 50 μm. Besides current M-ECM limits the article describes inevitable needs of further developments for mask resists, mask materials and the resulting ECM parameters, to reach the needed accuracy in tungsten microstructure. The achieved progress and observed correlations of processing parameters will be manifested by produced demonstrators made by the new “μM”-ECM process.

Full Text Available An experiment on a mockup of the test blanket module based on helium-cooled lithium lead (HCLL concept will be performed in 2008 in the Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG in order to study neutronics characteristics of the module and the accuracy of the computational tools. With the objective to prepare and optimise the design of the mockup in the sense to provide maximum information on the state-of-the-art of the cross-section data the mockup was pre-analysed using the deterministic codes for the sensitivity/uncertainty analysis. The neutron fluxes and tritium production rate (TPR, their sensitivity to the underlying basic cross-sections, as well as the corresponding uncertainties were calculated using the deterministic transport codes (DOORS package, the sensitivity/uncertainty code package SUSD3D, and the VITAMINJ/ COVA covariance matrix libraries. The cross-section reactions with largest contribution to the uncertainty of the calculated TPR were identified to be (n,2n and (n,3n reactions on lead. The conclusions of this work support the main benchmark design and suggest some modifications and improvements. In particular this study recommends the use, as far as possible, of both natural and enriched lithium pellets for the TRP measurements. The combined use is expected to provide additional and complementary information on the sensitive cross-sections.

FDS-MFX(Multi-Functional eXperimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor)是一个基于现实可行技术的多功能聚变裂变混合实验堆概念,分3个阶段相继开展实验研究,分别采用纯氚增殖包层、铀燃料包层和乏燃料包层.本文重点对其中铀燃料包层后期阶段中高浓缩铀模块的摆放方式和尺寸进行优化,给出一个区平均最大功率密度约为100 MW/m3,235U装料量约为1 t,氚增殖率为1.05的三维初步中子学方案.%A multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor concept named FDS-MFX , which is based on viable fusion and fission technologies, has been proposed. Three-stage tests will be carried out successively, in which the tritium breeding blanket, uranium-fueled blanket and spent-fuel-fueled blanket will be utilized respectively. In this paper,the design optimization for the layout and the size of high enriched uranium modules inlater stage of uranium-fueled blanket has been performed.Finally,proposing a preliminarythree-dimension neutronies design with maximum average Power Density(Pdmax)100 MW/m3,loaded mass of the 235U 1 000 kg and TBR(Tritium Breeding Ratio)1.05.

Full Text Available This essay discusses the complex relation between the knowledges and practices of the researcher and his/her informants in terms of lateral concepts. The starting point is that it is not the prerogative of the (STS scholar to conceptualize the world; all our “informants” do it too. This creates the possibility of enriching our own conceptual repertoires by letting them be inflected by the concepts of those we study. In a broad sense, the lateral means that there is a many-to-many relation between domains of knowledge and practice. However, each specific case of the lateral is necessarily immanent to a particular empirical setting and form of inquiry. In this sense lateral concepts are radically empirical since it locates concepts within the field. To clarify the meaning and stakes of lateral concepts, we first make a contrast between lateral anthropology and Latour’s notion of infra-reflexivity. We end with a brief illustration and discussion of how lateral conceptualization can re-orient STS modes of inquiry, and why this matters.

Z-Pinch惯性约束聚变是未来一种有竞争力的能源候选方案。Z-Pinch驱动的聚变裂变混合堆可高效地嬗变反应堆乏燃料中分离出的超铀元素。对美国Sandia国家实验室提出的In-Zinerater混合堆概念进行了中子学分析和数值模拟。在三维输运燃耗耦合程序MCORGS中增加了处理在线添加燃料与去除裂变产物的功能，实现了对液态燃料燃耗过程的模拟。增加6Li丰度和燃料初装量保持寿期初反应性不变，可以减缓寿期内反应性下降趋势。逐步增加包层内超铀元素装量，可以控制整个寿期内反应性基本恒定。聚变功率取20 MW，通过反应性控制，5年内包层能量放大倍数在160∼180之间，氚增殖比在1.5∼1.7之间，优于In-Zinerater基准设计方案。%Z-Pinch Inertial confinement fusion is a competitive candidate for future energy solution. A fusion-fission hybrid driven by Z-Pinch can be used to transmute transuranic elements from spent fuels of reactors efficiently. Analysis and numerical simulation of blanket neutronics of In-Zinerater, which is a fusion-fission hybrid concept design in Sandia National Laboratories, is given in this paper. Modification to the three dimension transport and burnup code MCORGS are done, so as to simulate continuous feeding and continuous chemical processing of the liquid fuel. Different combination of initial enrichment of 6Li and fuels loading in the blanket are selected to keep the same reactivity at begin of core. By this way, the decreasing trend of reactivity at life of the core can be lowered. The reactivity can be maintained constant by increasing the fuel loading in the core gradually as the burnup deepens. Given a 20 MW fusion power, by reactivity control, the blanket energy multiplication is around 160∼180 and tritium breed ratio 1.5∼1.7 in 5 years, which is a better result than Sandia’s original design.

This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report.

This report is one of a series of reports documenting accident scenario simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal systems. The simulations were performed in support of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) for the APT.

This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report.

This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal (HR) system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report.

This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report.

Full Text Available The occurrence of blanketing type Es (Esb layers and associated E-region irregularities over the magnetic equatorial location of Trivandrum (8.5° N; 77° E; dip ~0.5° during the summer solstitial months of May, June, July and August has been investigated in detail for the period 1986–2000 to bring out the variabilities in their characteristics with the solar cycle changes. The study has been made using the ionosonde and magnetometer data of Trivandrum from 1986–2000 along with the available data from the 54.95 MHz VHF backscatter radar at Trivandrum for the period 1995–2000. The appearance of blanketing Es layers during these months is observed to be mostly in association with the occurrence of afternoon Counter Electrojet (CEJ events. The physical process leading to the occurrence of a CEJ event is mainly controlled by the nature of the prevailing electro dynamical/neutral dynamical conditions before the event. Hence it is natural that the Esb layer characteristics like the frequency of occurrence, onset time, intensity, nature of gradients in its top and bottom sides etc are also affected by the nature of the background electro dynamical /neutral dynamical processes which in turn are strongly controlled by the solar activity changes. The occurrence of Esb layers during the solstitial months is found to show very strong solar activity dependence with the occurrence frequency being very large during the solar minimum years and very low during solar maximum years. The intensity of the VHF radar backscattered signals from the Esb irregularities is observed to be controlled by the relative roles of the direction and magnitude of the prevailing vertical polarization electric field and the vertical electron density gradient of the prevailing Esb layer depending on the phase of the solar cycle. The gradient of the Esb layer shows a more dominant role in the generation of gradient instabilities during solar minimum periods while it is the

Full Text Available There is growing interest in the restoration of blanket bogs that were afforested during the 1960s to 1980s, to avoid further loss of carbon to the atmosphere and to regain and defragment important blanket bog habitat. This paper reports the findings from a ten-year experiment in the UK to test the effectiveness of restoration treatments on water table depth, peat bulk density and water content, ground surface height and vegetation development. Treatments used were the six combinations of damming or not damming plough furrows with leaving the trees alive, felling and leaving them on the ground or felling and removing them. Combining felling with damming furrows was most successful in raising the water table, whether or not the felled trees were removed. Only where felling was combined with damming did the water table continue to recover between Years 5 and 10. Over ten years, the water level in these treatments rose to slightly below that of non-afforested reference bog at the same sites. This occurred as a rapid initial rise, following which there was only very slight further improvement. Felling caused the species composition of the vegetation to change towards that of the reference bogs. The process was slow, with the vegetation becoming more dissimilar to non-forested reference bog in the first five years and then becoming more similar to the reference bog after Year 5. Surprisingly, damming plough furrows had little effect on the vegetation except that, in combination with felling, it increased differentiation between the plough furrows and other positions on the ploughed ground. Conifer seedlings established on the restored plots, most densely where they adjoined standing forest, and had similar density and growth in all the felled treatments. The restoration treatments resulted in a decrease in bulk density and increase in water content of the upper peat, probably due to an unloading effect caused by the raised water table buoying up the

Liquid metals are attractive candidates for both near-term and long-term fusion applications. The subjects of this comparison are the differences between the two candidate liquid metal breeder materials Li and LiPb for use in breeding blankets in the areas of neutronics, magnetohydrodynamics, tritium control, compatibility with structural materials, heat extraction system, safety, and required R&D program. Both candidates appear to be promising for use in self-cooled breeding blankets which have inherent simplicity with the liquid metal serving as both breeders and coolant. The remaining feasibility question for both breeder materials is the electrical insulation between liquid metal and duct walls. Different ceramic coatings are required for the two breeders, and their crucial issues, namely self-healing of insulator cracks and radiation induced electrical degradation are not yet demonstrated. Each liquid metal breeder has advantages and concerns associated with it, and further development is needed to resolve these concerns.

This document concerns the award of a blanket purchase contract for the supply of water-cooled cables for the LHC. Following a market survey carried out among 26 firms in six Member States, a call for tenders (IT-3008/ST/LHC) was sent on 18 February 2002 to four firms in three Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received two tenders from two firms in two Member States. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket purchase contract with BRAR (IT), the only compliant bidder, for the supply of water-cooled cables for the LHC for a total amount not exceeding 1 720 000 euros (2 529 805 Swiss francs), subject to revision for inflation from 1 January 2004. The rate of exchange which has been used is that stipulated in the tender. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: IT - 100%.

Discussions are currently going on as to whether it is suitable to employ thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle. This work demonstrates that the {sup 231}Pa–{sup 232}U–{sup 233}U–Th composition to be produced in the thorium blanket of a hybrid thermonuclear reactor (HTR) as a fuel for light-water reactors opens up the possibility of achieving high, up to 30% of heavy metals (HM), or even ultrahigh fuel burnup. This is because the above fuel composition is able to stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties in the process of high fuel burnup. In addition, it allows the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) to be better protected against unauthorized proliferation of fissile materials owing to an unprecedentedly large fraction of {sup 232}U (several percent!) in the uranium bred from the Th blanket, which will substantially hamper the use of fissile materials in a closed NFC for purposes other than power production.

This document concerns the award of a blanket contract for the supply and maintenance of uninterruptable power supplies (UPS). Following a market survey carried out among 75 firms in eighteen Member States, a call for tenders (IT-2746/ST) was sent on 7 April 2000 to nine firms in four Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received tenders from six firms in four Member States. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket contract with GUTOR (CH), the lowest bidder after realignment, for the supply and maintenance of uninterruptable power supplies for a total amount of 5 000 000 Swiss francs, not subject to revision until 31 December 2002. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: DK?54.3%, CH?23.7%, IT?10%, DE?10%, IE?1% and JP?1%.

The aim of the present study is to analyse quantitatively the potential reduction of doses to the eye lens and the hands of an operator and a nurse by the use of a pelvic lead blanket during coronary angiography (CA) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were used to assess dose levels to the left eye lens and fingers on both hands of both physician and nurses during single procedures performed with or without the lead blanket. The measurements were carried out at one medical centre and include dosimetric data from 100 procedures. Additional measurements including physician's and patient's doses were made on phantoms in the laboratory. In order to determine the reduction potential of the lead blanket, the doses normalized to DAP (Dose-Area Product) corresponding to the same position of dosimeter were compared against each other for both procedure categories (with and without protection). There was no statistically significant decrease observed in physicians' and nurses' eye lens doses, nor in doses normalized to DAP due to the use of the lead pelvic shield in clinic. However, some trend in reducing the eye lens doses by this shield can be observed. Regarding finger doses, the differences are statistically significant but only for physicians. The mean DAP-normalised doses to the eye lens and left and right finger of physicians, in the presence of a ceiling-suspended transparent lead shield, were 2.24e-5 ± 1.41e-5 mSv/μGym(2), 2.31e-4 ± 1.21e-4 mSv/μGym(2), and 2.60e-5 ± 1.57e-5 mSv/μGym(2) for standard procedures performed without the lead blanket, and 1.77e-5 ± 1.17e-5 mSv/μGym(2), 1.70e-4 ± 1.01e-4 mSv/μGym(2), and 1.86e-5 ± 1.13e-5 mSv/μGym(2) for procedures performed with it. A comparison of the results from the laboratory and the clinic shows that they are consistent regarding the eye lens, while for fingers it suggests that the dose reduction properties of the lead shield are related to

Discussions are currently going on as to whether it is suitable to employ thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle. This work demonstrates that the 231Pa-232U-233U-Th composition to be produced in the thorium blanket of a hybrid thermonuclear reactor (HTR) as a fuel for light-water reactors opens up the possibility of achieving high, up to 30% of heavy metals (HM), or even ultrahigh fuel burnup. This is because the above fuel composition is able to stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties in the process of high fuel burnup. In addition, it allows the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) to be better protected against unauthorized proliferation of fissile materials owing to an unprecedentedly large fraction of 232U (several percent!) in the uranium bred from the Th blanket, which will substantially hamper the use of fissile materials in a closed NFC for purposes other than power production.

A high-temperature first wall/blanket which would take full advantage of the absence of tritium breeding in a d-d reactor was designed. This design which produces steam at p = 7 MPa and T = 538/sup 0/C at the blanket exit eliminates the requirement for a separate steam generator. A steam cycle with steam-to-steam reheat yielding about 37.5 percent efficiency is compatible with this design.

Highlights: • ITER blanket cooling system hydraulic behaviour is studied under draining transient. • A computational approach based on the finite volume method has been followed. • Draining efficiency has been assessed in term of transient duration and residual water. • Transient duration ranges from ∼40 to 50 s, under the reference draining scenario. • Residual water is predicted to range from few tens of gram up to few kilograms. - Abstract: Within the framework of the research and development activities supported by the ITER Organization on the blanket system issues, an intense analysis campaign has been performed at the University of Palermo with the aim to investigate the thermal-hydraulic behaviour of the cooling system of a standard 20° sector of ITER blanket during the draining transient operational procedure. The analysis has been carried out following a theoretical-computational approach based on the finite volume method and adopting the RELAP5 system code. In a first phase, attention has been focused on the development and validation of the finite volume models of the cooling circuits of the most demanding modules belonging to the standard blanket sector. In later phase, attention has been put to the numerical simulation of the thermal-hydraulic transient behaviour of each cooling circuit during the draining operational procedure. The draining procedure efficiency has been assessed in terms of both transient duration and residual amount of coolant inside the circuit, observing that the former ranges typically between 40 and 120 s and the latter reaches at most ∼8 kg, in the case of the cooling circuit of twinned modules #6–7. Potential variations to operational parameters and/or to circuit lay-out have been proposed and investigated to optimize the circuit draining performances. In this paper, the set-up of the finite volume models is briefly described and the key results are summarized and critically discussed.

Highlights: • Nuclear maintenance strategy for the two European (EU) Test Blanket Systems (TBS): i/. Helium Cooled Lead Lithium (HCLL) and ii/. Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB). • Preliminary identification of maintenance tasks for most relevant components of the EU HCLL & HCPB TBS. • Preliminary feasibility analysis for hands-on maintenance tasks of some relevant components of the European Test Blanket Systems. • Design recommendations for enhancement of the European Test Blanket Systems maintainability. - Abstract: This paper gives an overview of nuclear maintenance strategy to be followed for the European HCLL & HCPB Test Blanket Systems (TBS) to be installed in ITER. One of the several core documents to prepare in view of their licensing is their respective ‘Maintenance Plan’. This document is fundamental for ensuring sound performance and safety of the TBS during ITER’s operational phase and shall include, amongst others, relevant information on: maintenance organization, preventive and corrective maintenance task procedures, condition monitoring for key components, maintenance work planning, and a spare parts plan, just to mention some of the key topics. In compliance with the ITER Plant Maintenance policy, first steps have been taken aimed at defining nuclear maintenance strategy for some of the most relevant HCLL & HCPB TBS components, conducted by F4E in collaboration with industry. After a brief recall of maintenance strategy of the TBM Program (PBS-56), this paper analyses main features of EU HCLL & HCPB TBS maintainability and identifies, at their conceptual design phase, a preliminary list of maintenance tasks to be developed for their most representative components. In addition, the paper also presents the first nuclear maintenance studies conducted for replacement of the Q{sub 2} Getter Beds, identifying some design recommendations for their sound maintainability.

Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services are critically dependent on the quality of underpinning science. While key ecological processes may be understood, translating this understanding into quantitative relationships suitable for use in an ecosystem services context remains challenging. Using blanket bogs as a case study, we derived quantitative ‘pressure-response functions’ linking anthropogenic pressures (drainage, burning, sulphur and nitrogen deposition) with ecosystem functio...

The finite element code ANSYS is used to calculate the temperature and stress distributions for the first wall of DFLL-TBM (dual functional lithium lead-test blanket module),for testing in ITER. Preliminary analyses indicate that not only the low temperature design rules,the well-known 3Sm rules, are satisfied for the first wall, but the additional high temperature structural design criteria for the creep damage limits and creep-ratcheting limits are met as well.

The objective of this task is to develop the required data base and demonstrate the performance of a liquid lithium-vanadium advanced blanket design. The task has two main activities related to vanadium structural material and liquid lithium system developments. The vanadium alloy development activity included four subtasks: (1.1) baseline mechanical properties of non irradiated base metal and weld metal joints; (1.2) compatibility with liquid lithium; (1.3) material irradiation tests; and (1.4) development of material manufacturing and joining methods. The lithium blanket technology activity included four subtasks: (2.1) electrical insulation development and testing for liquid metal systems; (2.2) MHD pressure drop and heat transfer study for self-cooled liquid metal systems; (2.3) chemistry of liquid lithium; and (2.4) design, fabrication and testing of ITER relevant size blanket mockups. A summary of the progress and results obtained during the period 1995 and 1996 in each of the subtask areas is presented in this report.

This document concerns the award of a blanket purchase agreement for the supply and repair of subracks for the LHC experiments. Following a market survey carried out among 27 firms in seven Member States and one firm in a non-Member State, a call for tenders (IT-2916/EP) was sent on 9 November 2001 to 16 firms in five Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received six tenders. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket purchase agreement with WIENER, PLEIN & BAUS (DE) for the supply of subracks for a period of four years and a repair service for a period of ten years after expiry of the initial two year guarantee period, for a total amount not exceeding 5 600 000 euros, subject to revision for inflation from 1 January 2003. At the present rate of exchange, the total amount of the blanket purchase agreement is equivalent to approximately 8 300 000 Swiss francs. This requirement will be financed by the collaborating institutes of the LHC experiments and by CERN. CERN's ...

The appropriate process to resolve sewage contamination which have a high organic using anaerobic technology. Hybrid Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor is one of the anaerobic process which consists of a suspended growth media and attached growth media. The reactor has the ability to work at high load rate, sludge produced easily settles, high biomass and the separation of gas, solid and liquid excelent. The purpose of research is to study the acclimatization process in the reactor of Hybrid Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket using a polyvinl chloride ring as the attached growth medium. Reactor of Hybrid Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket use a working volume of 8.6 L. The operation consisting of 3 L suspended reactor and 5.6 L attached reactor. Acclimatization is conducted by providing the substrate from the smallest concentration of COD up to a concentration that will be processed. During the 50th day, acclimatization process assumed the bacteria begin to work, indicated by the dissolved COD and VSS decrease and biogas production. Due to the wastewater containing the high of protein in consequence operational parameters should be controlled and some precautions should be taken to prevent process partially or totally inhibited.

Recent activities and progress on the design and fabrication of the ITER blanket shield block in Korea are described in this paper. Hydraulic analyses, using a flow driver model for determining the gap between the radial cooling passages and flow drivers inside the shield block, were performed. The thermo-hydraulic analysis of half of a shield block was also conducted to investigate the uniformity of the flow stream in cooling passages and to evaluate the temperature distribution in the structure. The maximum temperature is below the allowable value, although hot spots occurred in the corner edge in the shield block. A manufacturing feasibility study for the development of the blanket shield block was performed in cooperation with KO industries. It was found that specific techniques would be required for the successful fabrication of an ITER blanket shield block, specifically electron-beam welding at a thickness up to 110 mm. The development of joining and drilling technologies for the thick shield block and lid joints is in progress. In addition, a full scale mock-up fabrication and the development of NDT techniques are planned in the near future.

This classic text, aimed at senior undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics and astronomy, presents a wide range of astrophysical concepts in sufficient depth to give the reader a quantitative understanding of the subject. Emphasizing physical concepts, the book outlines cosmic events but does not portray them in detail: it provides a series of astrophysical sketches. For this fourth edition, nearly every part of the text has been reconsidered and rewritten, new sections have been added to cover recent developments, and others have been extensively revised and brought up to date. The book begins with an outline of the scope of modern astrophysics and enumerates some of the outstanding problems faced in the field today. The basic physics needed to tackle these questions are developed in the next few chapters using specific astronomical processes as examples. The second half of the book enlarges on these topics and shows how we can obtain quantitative insight into the structure and evolution of...

Design concepts for tritium breeding blankets for DEMO and/or fusion power plants are going to be tested by using various types of TBMs (test blanket modules) in ITER. Two TBM systems are proposed by Korea, i.e. a helium-cooled solidbreeder (HCSB) blanket and a helium-cooled molten lithium (HCML) blanket, among several candidates. Both the TBMs consist of a ferritic-martensitic steel (FMS) as a structural material. In particular, FMS contacts with flowing molten metals (Pb.Li or Li) during the operation in the case of HCML blanket. Since FMS is corrosive in a Pb.Li solution, the compatibility of structural materials with breeder materials should be investigated. The compatibility of EUROFER with Pb.Li was tested at temperatures up to 550 .deg. C with PbLi flowing at up to 0.22 m/s for 5000 h in Europe. China performed corrosion tests of CLAM in experimental loops, such as the thermal convection Pb.Li loop (DRAGON I) at 450.500 .deg. C, the high-temperature thermal convection Pb.Li loop (DRAGON II) with up to 700 .deg. C. Japan also tested JLF alloys in the Li loop operated at up to 700 .deg. C. However, Korea does not have any developed FMS nor an experience of the corrosion test of FMS in a Pb.Li loop. The current study may be a first step to the compatibility test of TBM, although the test includes only a static Pb.Li melt

Full Text Available This study investigates the causes of erosion and degradation of March Haigh, a blanket mire in the southern Pennines (UK, over a period of 160 years starting in 1840 AD. Peat samples taken from the site were dated using 210Pb; their humification and magnetic susceptibility were measured; and they were examined for pollen, plant macrofossils and microscopic charcoal. Stratigraphic correlation with a dated ‘master’ sample was achieved using indicators of air pollution (magnetic susceptibility and climate (peat humification. The data were used in conjunction with documentary records to reconstruct past variations in grazing pressure, climate, moorland fires and air pollution. Three major vegetation changes have occurred on the moorland since 1840, namely: (1the disappearance of Sphagnum spp. in the mid 19th century; (2the replacement of Calluna vulgaris by Poaceae as the dominant vegetation type ca. 1918; and (3a reduction in vegetation cover and consequent erosion ca. 1959. The results concur with the findings of other investigations of ecological change in the southern Pennines insofar as degradation of vegetation prior to the mid 20th century appears to have been caused by air pollution, climate change and fire. Following the removal of vegetation by a severe fire during the summer of 1959, unprecedented sheep stocking levels maintained the bare peat surface and thus precipitated extensive erosion.

An advanced simulation environment to model incompressible MHD flows relevant to blanket conditions in fusion reactors has been developed at HyPerComp in research collaboration with TEXCEL. The goals of this phase-II project are two-fold: The first is the incorporation of crucial physical phenomena such as induced magnetic field modeling, and extending the capabilities beyond fluid flow prediction to model heat transfer with natural convection and mass transfer including tritium transport and permeation. The second is the design of a sequence of benchmark tests to establish code competence for several classes of physical phenomena in isolation as well as in select (termed here as “canonical”,) combinations. No previous attempts to develop such a comprehensive MHD modeling capability exist in the literature, and this study represents essentially uncharted territory. During the course of this Phase-II project, a significant breakthrough was achieved in modeling liquid metal flows at high Hartmann numbers. We developed a unique mathematical technique to accurately compute the fluid flow in complex geometries at extremely high Hartmann numbers (10,000 and greater), thus extending the state of the art of liquid metal MHD modeling relevant to fusion reactors at the present time. These developments have been published in noted international journals. A sequence of theoretical and experimental results was used to verify and validate the results obtained. The code was applied to a complete DCLL module simulation study with promising results.

Different autonomous communities located in northern Spain have large populations of dairy cattle. In the case of Asturias, the greatest concentration of dairy farms is found in the areas near the coast, where the elimination of cattle manure by means of its use as a fertilizer may lead to environmental problems. The aim of the present research work was to study the anaerobic treatment of the liquid fraction of cattle manure at mesophilic temperature using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor combined with a settler after a pasteurization process at 70 degrees C for 2 hr. The manure used in this study came from two different farms, with 40 and 200 cows, respectively. The manure from the smaller farm was pretreated in the laboratory by filtration through a 1-mm mesh, and the manure from the other farm was pretreated on the farm by filtration through a separator screw press (0.5-mm mesh). The pasteurization process removed the pathogenic microorganisms lacking spores, such as Enterococcus, Yersinia, Pseudomonas, and coliforms, but bacterial spores are only reduced by this treatment, not removed. The combination of a UASB reactor and a settler proved to be effective for the treatment of cattle manure. In spite of the variation in the organic loading rate and total solids in the influent during the experiment, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the effluent from the settler remained relatively constant, obtaining reductions in the COD of approximately 85%.

Coal coking, precious metals mining and nitrile polymer industries generate over several billion liters of cyanide-containing waste annually. Economic and environmental considerations make biological technologies attractive for treatment of wastes containing high organic content, in which the microbial cultures can remove concentrations of organics and cyanide simultaneously. For cyanide and phenol bearing waste treatment, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor has been developed, which successfully removed free cyanide 98% (with feed concentration of 20 mg 1(-1)) in presence of phenol. The effect of cyanide on phenol degradation was studied with varying concentrations of phenol as well as cyanide under anaerobic conditions. This study revealed that the methanogenic degradation of phenol can occur in the presence of cyanide concentration 30-38 mg 1(-1). Higher cyanide concentration inhibited the phenol degradation rate. The inhibition constant Ki was found to be 38 mg 1(-1) with phenol removal rate of 9.09 mg 1(-1.) x h.

The objectives of this work are to evaluate the effects of thermal history corresponding to a blanket fabrication process on Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steel (RAF/Ms) microstructure, and to establish appropriate Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) conditions without degradation in the microstructures. One of RAF/Ms F82H and its modified versions were investigated by metallurgical methods after isochronal heat treatments up to 1473 K simulating HIP thermal history. Although conventional F82H showed significant grain growth after conventional solid HIP conditions, F82H with 0.1 wt% tantalum maintained a fine grain structure after the same heat treatment. It is considered that the grain coarsening was caused by dissolution of tantalum-carbide which immobilizes grain boundaries. On the other hands, conventional RAF/Ms with coarse grains were recovered by post HIP normalizing at temperatures below the TaC solvus temperature. This process can refine the grain size of F82H to more than ASTM grain size number 7.

Simultaneous formaldehyde biodegradation, urea hydrolysis and denitrification in anoxic batch assays and in a continuous laboratory anoxic reactor were investigated. In batch assays, the initial formaldehyde biodegradation rate was around 0.7 g CH(2)Og VSS(-1)d(-1) and independent of the urea concentration (90- 370 mg N-NH(2)CONH(2)l(-1)). Urea was completely hydrolyzed to ammonium in the presence of 430 mg l(-1) formaldehyde and complete denitrification took place in all cases (125 mg N-NO(-)(3)l(-1)). Formaldehyde removal efficiencies above 99.5% were obtained in a lab-scale denitrifying upflow sludge blanket reactor at organic loading rates between 0.37 and 2.96 kg CODm(-3)d(-1) (625-5000 mg CH(2)Ol(-1)). The urea loading rate was increased from 0.06 to 0.44 kg Nm(-3)d(-1) (100-800 mg N-NH(2)CONH(2)l(-1)) and hydrolysis to ammonium was around 77.5% at all loading rates. The denitrification process was always almost complete (100-800 mg N-NO(3)(-)l(-1)), due to the high COD/N ratio of 6.7 in the influent. A minimum value of 3.5 was found to be required for full denitrification. The composition of the biogas indicated that denitrification and methanogenesis occurred simultaneously in the same unit. A good granulation of the sludge was observed.

Full Text Available Up flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB reactors have been increasingly used for industrial wastewater treatment. Because of existing problems in startup step of these reactors, in this research the startup of a UASB in pilot scale and room temperature condition was studied. The total height of UASB reactor was 270 cm and effective height was 240 cm. Diameter of the reactor in lower part was 20 cm (reaction zone and 40 cm in upper part (solid-gas-liquid separator five sampling ports with interval of 32 cm were provided and the effective volume of the reactor was 100 liters. Septic tank digested sludge and cow manure were used for the seeding of UASB reactor. In the startup step of the reactor, volumetric loading was increased step by step. After 155 days granule formation was observed and after 215 days of the study the removal rate increased to 4.62 kg COD/m/ day. More than 98% of soluble COD removal was achieved in lower 160 cm of reactor.

Thyroid cancer disproportionally affects more women than men. The aim of this study was to assess whether exposure to extremely low frequency electric magnetic fields from electric blankets (EBs) was associated with the development of thyroid cancer. Data were analyzed from 89,527 women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study and who responded to questions concerning prior use of EBs. During a mean follow-up of 12.2 years, 190 incident cases of thyroid cancer were identified. We estimated the hazard ratio (HR) and 95 percent confidence interval (CI) of incident thyroid cancer associated with EB use by Cox's proportional hazard model, adjusted for selected covariates. A majority, 57 percent, of the women in the cohort reported the use of EBs while sleeping and/or for warming the bed before sleep. No association was found between use of EBs and subsequent risk of thyroid cancer (HR = 0.98, 95 percent CI 0.72-1.32). Duration of EB use measured in years, months, or hours had no effect on risk. These results did not change when the cases were limited to papillary thyroid cancer, the most frequently occurring histologic type. The results of this study do not support possible health hazards of EBs in regards to thyroid cancer risk.

In this novel process, domestic wastewater was filtered by a hollow-fibre membrane coupled with an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (MUASB) bioreactor. To improve the process sustainability and decrease energy costs, the membranes were operated under low fluxes with little, or no, shear. The efficiency of anti-fouling strategies, including relaxation, backwashing and supply of low aeration and stir rates, was assessed through detailed characterization of the fouling layers. Results indicated that backwashing was more efficient than relaxation, even when the systems were operated under the same flux productivity. In terms of shear supply, stir provided a better fouling limitation strategy compared to aeration, at similar shear stress values. Physical and chemical cleaning methods were applied to recover three fouling fractions (i.e. cake, residual and irreversible) for better characterization of the fouling layers. Under the sustainable operating conditions used in this study, most of the fouling was easily reversible by simple rinsing. In addition, permanent and irreversible fouling, resulting in the need for frequent chemical cleanings and potential membrane degradation, is limited once small shear stresses are applied. These outcomes are expected to form the basis for the future assessment of trade-off between operation, maintenance and replacement costs of membrane filtration processes used in wastewater treatment.

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a full-scale treatment system effluent slaughterhouse. The full-scale Sewage Treatment Station was designed for a daily flow of 60 m³/d, corresponding to a slaughter of 60 cattle per day. The treatment system consists of a Parshall flume for flow measurement, followed by static sieve, gravimetric fat, sedimentation and anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB box and it was monitored weekly from January to August. The following parameters were analyzed: pH, alkalinity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD, total solids (TS, total suspended solids (TSS, ammonia nitrogen, and total nitrogen kjedhall. The average pH, COD and TSS in the UASB reactor effluent values were 6.96, 660 mg/L and 188 mg/L , respectively. The system proved to be efficient, with average removal of 96.40% to 89.92% for COD and TSS. The UASB reactor showed high performance in removing solids and organic load. Thus, this reactor becomes a viable alternative for treating wastewater slaughterhouse, offering good removal results and low cost of deployment.

Methanogenic archaea enrichment of a granular sludge was undertaken in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor fed with methanol in order to enrich methylotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenic populations. A microbial community assessment, in terms of microbial composition and activity-throughout the different stages of the feeding process with methanol and acetate-was performed using specific methanogenic activity (SMA) assays, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and high-throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes from DNA and complementary DNA (cDNA). Distinct methanogenic enrichment was revealed by qPCR of mcrA gene in the methanol-fed community, being two orders of magnitude higher with respect to the initial inoculum, achieving a final mcrA/16S rRNA ratio of 0.25. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the resulting methanogenic population was mainly composed by methylotrophic archaea (Methanomethylovorans and Methanolobus genus), being also highly active according to the RNA-based assessment. SMA confirmed that the methylotrophic pathway, with a direct conversion of methanol to CH4, was the main step of methanol degradation in the UASB. The biomass from the UASB, enriched in methanogenic archaea, may bear great potential as additional inoculum for bioreactors to carry out biogas production and other related processes.

This paper describes the thermal performance of a Composite Flexible Blanket Insulation (C.F.B.I.) considered for potential use as a thermal protection system or thermal insulation for future hypersonic vehicles such as the National Aerospace Plane (N.A.S.P.). Thermophysical properties for these insulations were also measured including the thermal conductivity at various temperatures and pressures and the emissivity of the fabrics used in the flexible insulations. The thermal response of these materials subjected to aeroconvective heating from a plasma arc is also described. Materials tested included two surface variations of the insulations, and similar insulations coated with a Protective Ceramic Coating (P.C.C.). Surface and backface temperatures were measured in the flexible insulations and on Fibrous Refractory Composite Insulation (F.R.C.I.) used as a calibration model. The uncoated flexible insulations exhibited good thermal performance up to 35 W/sq cm. The use of a P.C.C. to protect these insulations at higher heating rates is described. The results from a computerized thermal analysis model describing thermal response of those materials subjected to the plasma arc conditions are included. Thermal and optical properties were determined including thermal conductivity for the rigid and flexible insulations and emissivity for the insulation fabrics. These properties were utilized to calculate the thermal performance of the rigid and flexible insulations at the maximum heating rate.

Full Text Available The adoption of confined systems for swine production have been increased the use of water in these installations and, consequently, an each time greater production of wastewater. Diagnostics have been showed a high level of water pollution due the waste material release on lands without criterions and in waters without previous treatment. The utilization of anaerobic process to reduce the liquid residues pollutant power has been detaching because beyond reducing the environmental pollution they allow to recover the energetic potential as fertilizer and biogas. In this work the performance of two real scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors treating swine wastewater were evaluated through operational system analysis, physical-chemical parameters of pollution and biogas production measurement. The results permitted to verify upflow rate speeds above of the value for which these reactors were designed and hydraulic residence times under of the design value. These factors affected negatively the treatment and had reflected on the law removal of the physical-chemical parameters and biogas production. The maximum removal efficiencies reached for TSS, BOD and COD were 72,5%, 34,7% and 40,0%, respectively. The mean rate of biogas liberation was 0,011 m-³ m-².h-1.

The microbial populations of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor, used for treating wastewater from the gelatin industry, were studied by microbiological methods and phase-contrast and electron microscopy. Microscopy examination of the sludge showed a complex mixture of various rod-shaped and coccoid bacterial pluslong filaments and verymobile curved rods. In addition free-living anaerobic ciliates and flagellates were also observed. The trophic group population observed in decreasing order of dominance were hydrolytic and acetogenic at 10(6) and sulfate reducing and methanogenic at 10(5). The rate of methane production in anaerobic granular sludge cultivated in growth medium supplement with formate pressurized with H2:CO2 showed a significant increase in methane yield compared with theseed culture containingthe same substrate and atmosphere of N2:CO2. Similar rates of methane production were observed when the growth medium was supplemented with acetate pressurized either with H2:CO2 or N2:CO2. The number of total anaerobic bacteria at 10(7), fecal coliforms and total coliforms at 10(6), and fecal streptococci at 10(3) is based on colony counts on solid media. The four prevalent species of facultative anaerobic gram-negative bacteria that belong to the family of Enterobacteriaceae were identified as Escherichia coli, Esherichia fergusonii, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Citrobacter freundii. The species Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas veronii, Acinetobacter iwoffi and Stenotrophomonas maltophila were the most frequently isolated glucose fermenting and nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli.

Highlights: • An in operation force measurement system for the ITER EU HCPB TBM has been developed. • The force reconstruction methods are based on strain measurements on the attachment system. • An experimental setup and a corresponding mock-up have been built. • A set of test cases representing ITER relevant excitations has been used for validation. • The influence of modeling errors on the force reconstruction has been investigated. - Abstract: In order to reconstruct forces on the test blanket modules in ITER, two force reconstruction methods, the augmented Kalman filter and a model predictive controller, have been selected and developed to estimate the forces based on strain measurements on the attachment system. A dedicated experimental setup with a corresponding mock-up has been designed and built to validate these methods. A set of test cases has been defined to represent possible excitation of the system. It has been shown that the errors in the estimated forces mainly depend on the accuracy of the identified model used by the algorithms. Furthermore, it has been found that a minimum of 10 strain gauges is necessary to allow for a low error in the reconstructed forces.

Fast beam-ion losses were studied in DIII-D in the presence of a scaled mockup of two Test Blanket Modules (TBM) for ITER. Heating of the protective tiles on the front of the TBM surface was found when neutral beams were injected and the TBM fields were engaged. The fast-ion core confinement was not significantly affected. Different orbit-following codes predict the formation of a hot spot on the TBM surface arising from beam-ions deposited near the edge of the plasma. The codes are in good agreement with each other on the total power deposited at the hot spot predicting an increase in power with decreasing separation between the plasma edge and the TBM surface. A thermal analysis of the heat flow through the tiles shows that the simulated power can account for the measured tile temperature rise. The thermal analysis, however, is very sensitive to the details of the localization of the hot spot which is predicted to be different among the various codes.

Fast beam-ion losses were studied in DIII-D in the presence of a scaled mock-up of two test blanket modules (TBM) for ITER. Heating of the protective tiles on the front of the TBM surface was found when neutral beams were injected and the TBM fields were engaged. The fast-ion core confinement was not significantly affected. Different orbit-following codes predict the formation of a hot spot on the TBM surface arising from beam ions deposited near the edge of the plasma. The codes are in good agreement with each other on the total power deposited at the hot spot, predicting an increase in power with decreasing separation between the plasma edge and the TBM surface. A thermal analysis of the heat flow through the tiles shows that the simulated power can account for the measured tile temperature rise. The thermal analysis, however, is very sensitive to the details of the localization of the hot spot, which is predicted to be different among the various codes.

This work investigated the biomass activity in a thermophilic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor of wastewater treatment. Synthetic textile wastewater with pH 10-11, COD level of 2000-3000 mg/L was tested. Cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in volatile solids (VS; mg ATP/gVS) was measured and expressed as specific ATP content to compare the biomass activity in up zone and lower zone in UASB reactor. The result shows that the specific ATP content based on total volatile solids (VS)in lower zone (0. 046 mgATP/gVS average) is much lower than that in up zone (0.62 mgATP/gVS average) due to high content of inactive biomass and high pH in lower zone. The SATP in up zone increases as HRT increases and approaches to a maximum value of 0.85 mgATP/gVS at HRT of 7h, then decreases. It shows most of the total VS in up zone represent active bacterial biomass at HRT of 7h. Rate of subtract utilization is directly related to the activity of microorganisms in the reactor. The effect of HRT on SATP in lower zone is not as significant as on SATP in up zone. The buffer capacity of the thermophilic UASB reactor is very good. It is the activity of sludge granules in lower zone that give the UASB reactor such a good buffer capacity to the inlet high pH.

The anaerobic biodegradation of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) was studied in Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactors (UASB). One reactor was fed with easily degradable substrates and commercial LAS solution during a period of 3 months (Reactor 1), meanwhile a second reactor was fed with a commercial LAS solution without co-substrate (Reactor 2) during 4 months. Both reactors were operated with an organic loading rate of 4-5 mg-LAS/l x day and a hydraulic retention time of one day. The LAS biodegradation was determined by full mass balance. LAS was analysed by HPLC in the liquid phase (influent and effluent streams of the reactors) as well as in the solid phase (granular sludge used as biomass). The results indicate a high level of removal (primary biodegradation: 64-85%). Biodegradation was higher in the absence of external co-substrates than in the presence of additional sources of carbon. This indicates that the surfactant can be partially used as carbon and energy source by anaerobic bacteria. Under the operating conditions used, inhibition of the methanogenic activity or any other negative effects on the biomass due to the presence of LAS were not observed. The methanogenic activity remained high and stable throughout the experiment.

Full Text Available The ability to identify hazardous traffic events is already considered as one of the most effective solutions for reducing the occurrence of crashes. Only certain particular hazardous traffic events have been studied in previous studies, which were mainly based on dedicated video stream data and GPS data. The objective of this study is twofold: (1 the Markov blanket (MB algorithm is employed to extract the main factors associated with hazardous traffic events; (2 a model is developed to identify hazardous traffic event using driving characteristics, vehicle trajectory, and vehicle position data. Twenty-two licensed drivers were recruited to carry out a natural driving experiment in Wuhan, China, and multi-sensor information data were collected for different types of traffic events. The results indicated that a vehicle’s speed, the standard deviation of speed, the standard deviation of skin conductance, the standard deviation of brake pressure, turn signal, the acceleration of steering, the standard deviation of acceleration, and the acceleration in Z (G have significant influences on hazardous traffic events. The sequential minimal optimization (SMO algorithm was adopted to build the identification model, and the accuracy of prediction was higher than 86%. Moreover, compared with other detection algorithms, the MB-SMO algorithm was ranked best in terms of the prediction accuracy. The conclusions can provide reference evidence for the development of dangerous situation warning products and the design of intelligent vehicles.

The ability to identify hazardous traffic events is already considered as one of the most effective solutions for reducing the occurrence of crashes. Only certain particular hazardous traffic events have been studied in previous studies, which were mainly based on dedicated video stream data and GPS data. The objective of this study is twofold: (1) the Markov blanket (MB) algorithm is employed to extract the main factors associated with hazardous traffic events; (2) a model is developed to identify hazardous traffic event using driving characteristics, vehicle trajectory, and vehicle position data. Twenty-two licensed drivers were recruited to carry out a natural driving experiment in Wuhan, China, and multi-sensor information data were collected for different types of traffic events. The results indicated that a vehicle's speed, the standard deviation of speed, the standard deviation of skin conductance, the standard deviation of brake pressure, turn signal, the acceleration of steering, the standard deviation of acceleration, and the acceleration in Z (G) have significant influences on hazardous traffic events. The sequential minimal optimization (SMO) algorithm was adopted to build the identification model, and the accuracy of prediction was higher than 86%. Moreover, compared with other detection algorithms, the MB-SMO algorithm was ranked best in terms of the prediction accuracy. The conclusions can provide reference evidence for the development of dangerous situation warning products and the design of intelligent vehicles.

Highlights: • Heat removal capacity of the FW is evaluated under BWR, PWR and He coolant inlet conditions. • Heat transfer property of the gas–liquid two phase and the two boiling crises are analyzed. • Heat removal capacity of water is larger than helium coolant. - Abstract: The water cooled ceramic breeder blanket (WCCB) is being researched for Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). As an important component of the blanket, the FW should satisfy with the thermal requirements in any case. In this paper, three parameters including the heat removal capacity, coolant pressure drop as well as the temperature rise of the FW were investigated under different coolant velocity and heat flux from the plasma. Using the same first wall structure, two main water cooled schemes including Boiling Water Reactor (BWR, 7 MPa pressure and 265 °C temperature inlet) and Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR, 15 MPa pressure and 285 °C temperature inlet) conditions are discussed in the thermal hydraulic calculation. For further research, the thermal hydraulic characteristics of using helium as coolant (8 MPa pressure, 300 °C temperature inlet) are also explored to provide CFETR blanket design with more useful data supports. Without regard to the outlet coolant condition requirements of the blanket, the results indicate that the ultimate heat flux that the FW can resist is 2.2 MW/m{sup 2} at velocity of 5 m/s for BWR, 2.0 MW/m{sup 2} at velocity of 5 m/s for PWR and 0.87 MW/m{sup 2} for helium at velocity 100 m/s under the chosen operation condition. The detrimental departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) crisis would occur at the velocity of 1 m/s under the heat flux of 3 MW/m{sup 2} and dry out crisis appears at the velocity of less than 0.2 m/s with the heat flux of more than 1 MW/m{sup 2} for BWR. The further blanket/FW optimization design is provided with more useful data references according to the abundant calculation results.

Highlights: •We discussed the concept design of the RH maintenance system based on the main design work of the key components for CFETR. •The main design work for RH maintenance in this paper was carried out including the divertor RH system, the blanket RH system and the transfer cask system. •The technical problems encountered in the design process were discussed. •The present concept design of remote maintenance system in this paper can meet the physical and engineering requirement of CFETR. -- Abstract: CFETR which stands for Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor is a superconducting Tokamak device. The concept design on RH maintenance of CFETR has been done in the past year. It is known that, the RH maintenance is one of the most important parts for Tokamak reactor. The fusion power was designed as 50–200 MW and its duty cycle time (or burning time) was estimated as 30–50%. The center magnetic field strength on the TF magnet is 5.0 T, the maximum capacity of the volt seconds provided by center solenoid winding will be about 160 VS. The plasma current will be 10 MA and its major radius and minor radius is 5.7 m and 1.6 m respectively. All the components of CFETR which provide their basic functions must be maintained and inspected during the reactor lifetime. Thus, the remote handling (RH) maintenance system should be a key component, which must be detailedly designed during the concept design processing of CFETR, for the operation of reactor. The main design work for RH maintenance in this paper was carried out including the divertor RH system, the blanket RH system and the transfer cask system. What is more, the technical problems encountered in the design process will also be discussed.

The hybrid fusion-fission reactor has advantages of breeding of the nuclear fuel and transmutation of the long-life nuclear waste and having inherent safety. Meanwhile, the engineering and technological demand of hybrid reactor is significantly reduced comparing with that of pure fusion reactor. A generating electricity blanketconcept using the PWR spent fuel directly was proposed, which was based on ITER parameter level achieved. Different volume fractions of the fuel in blanket enabled to realize a power flattening in the fissile zone. The results show that the peak-to-average power factor becomes less than no power flattening, and the output power of the fuel zone raises more than 21. 7%. At the end of the operation, the maximum fuel enrichment is 5. 23%. The blanket is feasible from the neutronics viewpoint.%聚变裂变混合堆在增殖核燃料、嬗变长寿命核废料及固有安全性等方面具有较大优势,同时,它比纯聚变堆在工程及技术方面要求低,因此较聚变堆更易实现.本工作基于目前国际聚变实验堆(ITER)所能达到的技术水平,提出一种直接利用乏燃料进行发电的聚变裂变混合堆包层概念,利用在不同位置放置不同乏燃料体积分数的方法对燃料增殖区实现了功率展平.计算结果表明:功率展平后的包层功率不均匀系数更小,且包层中燃料区的能量输出要比不展平情况下的能量输出高约21.7％.燃料富集度到运行末期最大可达5.23％.从中子学角度初步论证了该包层的可行性.

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels (RAFMs) are recognized as the primary candidate structural materials for fusion blanket systems, as it has they have been developed based on massive industrial experience of ferritic/martensitic steel replacing Mo and Nb of high chromium heat resistant martensitic steels (such as modified 9Cr-1Mo) with W and Ta, respectively. F82H and JLF-1 are RAFMs, which have been developed and studied in Japan and the various effects of irradiation were reported. F82H is designed with emphasis on high temperature property and weldability, and was provided and evaluated in various countries as a part of the IEA fusion materials development collaboration. The JAEA/US collaboration program also has been conducted with the emphasis on irradiation effects of F82H. Now, among the existing database for RAFMs the most extensive one is that for F82H. The objective of this paper is to review the R and D status of F82H and to identify the key technical issues for the fabrication of ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) suggested from the recent achievements in Japan. It is desirable to make the status of RAFMs equivalent to commercial steels to use RAFMs as the ITER-TBM structural material. This would require demonstrating the reproducibility and weldability as well as providing the database. The excellent reproducibility of F82H has been demonstrated with four 5-ton-heats, and two of them were provided as F82H-IEA heats. It has been also proved that F82H could be provided as plates (thickness of 1.5 to 55 mm), pipes and rectangular tubes. It is also important to have the excellent weldability as the TBM has about 300m length of weld line, and it was proved through TIG, EB and YAG weld test performed in air atmosphere. Various mechanical and microstructural data have been accumulated including long-term tests such as creep rupture tests and aging tests. Although F82H is a well-perceived RAFM as the ITER-TBM structural material, some issues are

The treatment of grey water in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and temperatures, was investigated. The first reactor (UASB-A) was operated at ambient temperature (14-25 degrees C) and HRT of 20, 12 and 8 h, while the second reactor (UASB-30) was operated at controlled temperature of 30 degrees C and HRT of 16, 10 and 6 h. The two reactors were fed with grey water from 'Flintenbreite' settlement in Luebeck, Germany. When the grey water was treated in the UASB reactor at 30 degrees C, total chemical oxygen demand (CODt) removal of 52-64% was achieved at HRT between 6 and 16 h, while at lower temperature lower removal (31-41%) was obtained at HRT between 8 and 20 h. Total nitrogen and phosphorous removal in the UASB reactors were limited (22-36 and 10-24%, respectively) at all operational conditions. The results showed that at increasing temperature or decreasing HRT of the reactors, maximum specific methanogenic activity of the sludge in the reactors improved. As the UASB reactor showed a significantly higher COD removal (31-64%) than the septic tank (11-14%) even at low temperature, it is recommended to use UASB reactor instead of septic tank (the most common system) for grey water pre-treatment. Based on the achieved results and due to high peak flow factor, a HRT between 8 and 12 h can be considered the suitable HRT for the UASB reactor treating grey water at temperature 20-30 degrees C, while a HRT of 12-24 h can be applied at temperature lower than 20 degrees C.

Highlights: • 316L(N)-IG forged steel was successfully fabricated and qualified. • Related R&D activities were implemented to resolve the fabrication issues. • SB #8 FSP was successfully manufactured with conventional fabrication techniques. • All of the validation tests were carried out and met the acceptance criteria. - Abstract: Based on the preliminary design of the ITER blanket shield block (SB) #8, the full scale prototype (FSP) has been manufactured and tested in accordance with pre-qualification program, and related R&D was performed to resolve the technical issues of fabrication. The objective of the SB pre-qualification program is to demonstrate the acceptable manufacturing quality by successfully passing the formal test program. 316L(N)-IG stainless steel forging blocks with 1.80L × 1.12W × 0.43t (m) were developed by using an electric arc furnace, and as a result, the material properties were satisfied with technical specification. In the course of applying conventional fabrication techniques such as cutting, milling, drilling and welding of the forged stainless steel block for the manufacturing of the SB #8 FSP, several technical problems have been addressed. And also, the hydraulic connector of cross-forged material re-melted by electro slag or vacuum arc requires the application of advanced joining techniques such as automatic bore TIG and friction welding. Many technical issues – drilling, welding, slitting, non-destructive test and so on – have been raised during manufacturing. Associated R&D including the computational simulation and coupon testing has been done in collaboration with relevant industries in order to resolve these engineering issues. This paper provides technical key issues and their possible resolutions addressed during the manufacture and formal test of the SB #8 FSP, and related R&D.

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) methane fermentation treatment of cow manure that was subjected to screw pressing, thermal treatment and subsequent solid-liquid separation was studied. Conducting batch scale tests at temperatures between 140 and 180 degrees C, the optimal temperature for sludge settling and the color suppression was found to be between 160-170 degrees C. UASB treatment was carried out with a supernatant obtained from the thermal treatment at the optimal conditions (170 degrees C for 30 minutes) and polymer-dosed solid-liquid separation. In the UASB treatment with a COD(Cr) loading of 11.7 kg/m3/d and water temperature of 32.2 degrees C, the COD(Cr) level dropped from 16,360 mg/L in raw water to 3,940 mg/L in treated water (COD(Cr), removal rate of 75.9%), and the methane production rate per COD(Cr) was 0.187 Nm3/kg. Using wastewater thermal-treated at the optimal conditions, also a methane fermentation treatment with a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was conducted (COD(Cr) in raw water: 38,000 mg/L, hydraulic retention time (HRT): 20 days, 35 degrees C). At the COD(Cr) loading of 1.9 kg/m3/d, the methane production rate per COD(Cr), was 0.153 Nm3/kg. This result shows that UASB treatment using thermal pre-treatment provides a COD(Cr), loading of four times or more and a methane production rate of 1.3 times higher than the CSTR treatment.

Experiments at DIII-D investigated the effects of magnetic error fields similar to those expected from proposed ITER test blanket modules (TBMs) containing ferromagnetic material. Studied were effects on: plasma rotation and locking, confinement, L-H transition, the H-mode pedestal, edge localized modes (ELMs) and ELM suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations, energetic particle losses, and more. The experiments used a purpose-built three-coil mock-up of two magnetized ITER TBMs in one ITER equatorial port. The largest effect was a reduction in plasma toroidal rotation velocity v across the entire radial profile by as much as Δv/v ~ 60% via non-resonant braking. Changes to global Δn/n, Δβ/β and ΔH98/H98 were ~3 times smaller. These effects are stronger at higher β. Other effects were smaller. The TBM field increased sensitivity to locking by an applied known n = 1 test field in both L- and H-mode plasmas. Locked mode tolerance was completely restored in L-mode by re-adjusting the DIII-D n = 1 error field compensation system. Numerical modelling by IPEC reproduces the rotation braking and locking semi-quantitatively, and identifies plasma amplification of a few n = 1 Fourier harmonics as the main cause of braking. IPEC predicts that TBM braking in H-mode may be reduced by n = 1 control. Although extrapolation from DIII-D to ITER is still an open issue, these experiments suggest that a TBM-like error field will produce only a few potentially troublesome problems, and that they might be made acceptably small.

Although the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been widely applied for domestic wastewater treatment in many developing countries, there is no sufficient mathematical model for proper design and operation of the reactor. An empirical model based on non-linear regression was developed to represent the physical and chemical removal of suspended solids (SS) in the reactor. Moreover, a simplified dynamic model based on ADM1 and the empirical model for SS removal was developed for anaerobic digestion of the entrapped SS and dissolved matter in the wastewater. The empirical model showed that effluent suspended chemical oxygen demand (COD(ss)) concentration is directly proportional to the influent COD(ss) concentration and inversely proportional to both the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor and wastewater temperature. For obtaining sufficient COD(ss) removal, the HRT of the UASB reactor must be higher than 4 h, and higher HRT than 12 h slightly improved COD(ss) removal. The dynamic model results showed that the required time for filling the reactor with sludge mainly depends on influent total chemical oxygen demand (COD(t)) concentration and HRT. The influent COD(t) concentration, HRT and temperature play a crucial role on the performance of the reactor. The results indicated that shorter HRT is needed for optimization of COD(t) removal, as compared with optimization of COD(t) conversion to methane. Based on the model results, the design HRT of the UASB reactor should be selected based on the optimization of wastewater conversion and minimization of biodegradable SS accumulation in the sludge bed, not only based on COD removal, to guarantee a stable reactor performance.

New experiments in the low-torque ITER Q = 10 scenario on DIII-D demonstrate that n = 1 magnetic fields from a single row of ex-vessel control coils enable operation at ITER performance metrics in the presence of applied non-axisymmetric magnetic fields from a test blanket module (TBM) mock-up coil. With n = 1 compensation, operation below the ITER-equivalent injected torque is successful at three times the ITER equivalent toroidal magnetic field ripple for a pair of TBMs in one equatorial port, whereas the uncompensated TBM field leads to rotation collapse, loss of H-mode and plasma current disruption. In companion experiments at high plasma beta, where the n = 1 plasma response is enhanced, uncorrected TBM fields degrade energy confinement and the plasma angular momentum while increasing fast ion losses; however, disruptions are not routinely encountered owing to increased levels of injected neutral beam torque. In this regime, n = 1 field compensation leads to recovery of a dominant fraction of the TBM-induced plasma pressure and rotation degradation, and an 80% reduction in the heat load to the first wall. These results show that the n = 1 plasma response plays a dominant role in determining plasma stability, and that n = 1 field compensation alone not only recovers most of the impact on plasma performance of the TBM, but also protects the first wall from potentially damaging heat flux. Despite these benefits, plasma rotation braking from the TBM fields cannot be fully recovered using standard error field control. Given the uncertainty in extrapolation of these results to the ITER configuration, it is prudent to design the TBMs with as low a ferromagnetic mass as possible without jeopardizing the TBM mission.

Highlights: • The SB#08 FSP were manufactured by using conventional manufacturing processes such as cutting, milling, drilling and welding. • Especially, a strong back system was adopted in order to prevent welding deformation during cover plate welding process. • Post-Welding Heat Treatment (PWHT) for stress relieving and Hot He Leak Test (HHLT) were waived from the lake of huge test facility in the pre-qualification program. • The PWHT combined with the HHLT, however, were implemented to remove the residual stress and to confirm the soundness of welded parts as an internal R&D activities after the pre-qualification program. • Three dimensional inspection also carried out after the PWHT to check the dimensional stabilization. - Abstract: The tight tolerance requirement is one of key issue to manufacture the ITER blanket shield blocks (SBs) which have many interfaces with the First Wall (FW) and Vacuum Vessel (VV). Manufactured SB shall be satisfied with general tolerances (Class “C” of ISO 2768-1 and “L” of ISO 2768-2) and specific tolerance in 2D general assembly drawings. In order to fulfill the tight tolerance requirements in the final stage of SB, stress relieving after welding operations in the manufacturing process shall be performed. Hot helium leak test, Post Welding Heat Treatment (PWHT) and three-dimensional inspection before and after heat treatment were implemented by using the Full Scale Prototype (FSP) of SB in the framework of domestic R&D activities. The hot He leak test was performed at 250 °C for 30 min, and the result was satisfied the requirements. PWHT was carried out at 400 °C for 24 h by brazing furnace with test chamber. The deformation value before and after was measured by contact type coordinate measuring machine. The objective of this study is to verify dimensional stability of SB after stress relieving. The results will support to determine the machining allowance prior to welding process.

Small scale mock-ups of the primary first wall, the baffle first wall, the shield block and a partial model for the edge of the primary first wall module were designed and fabricated incorporating most of the key design features of the ITER shielding blanket. All mock-ups featured the DSCu heat sink, the built-in SS coolant tubes within the heat sink and the SS shield block. CFC tiles was used as the protection armor for the baffle first wall mock-up. The small scale shield block mock-up, integrated with the first wall, was designed to have a poloidal curvature specified in the ITER design. Fabrication routes of mock-ups were decided based on the single step solid HIP of DSCu/DSCu, DSCu/SS and SS/SS reflecting the results of previous joining techniques development and testing. For attaching the CFC tiles onto DSCu heat sink in the fabrication of the baffle first wall mock-up, a two-step brazing was tried. All mock-ups and the partial model were successfully fabricated with a satisfactory dimensional accuracy. The small scale primary first wall mock-up was thermo-mechanically tested under high heat fluxes of 5-7 MW/m{sup 2} for 2500 cycles in total. Satisfactory heat removal performance and integrity of the mock-up against cyclic high heat flux loads were confirmed by measurement during the tests and destructive examination after the tests. Similar high heat flux tests were also performed with the small scale baffle first wall mock-up under 5-10 MW/m{sup 2} for 4500 cycles in total resulting in sufficient heat removal capability and integrity confirmed by measurements during the tests. (author)

Full Text Available Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the PCE biodegradation potential in an Anaerobic Migrating Blanket Reactor (AMBR that has not been used so far for the bioremediation of this compound, in high concentration, and to evaluate the system performance. Materials and Methods: This study was an Experimental - Interventional study that was done from April 2010 to March 2011, in the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The AMBR was used in a type of laboratory scale, with a volume of 10 L, which was divided into four compartments, for the biological degradation of PCE in a synthetic substrate. The startup was done using anaerobic digested sewage sludge. The performance of the reactor was evaluated during four periods, with a PCE loading rate of 3.75 until 75 mg PCE/L.d. The hydraulic retention time (HRT was 32 hours. Results: Optimum chemical oxygen demand (COD removal efficiency was obtained, 98%, with an organic loading rate (OLR equal to 3.1 g COD/L.d. For PCE removal, the optimum efficiency was observed to be 99.8%, with a PCE loading rate equal to 37.5 mg PCE/L.d. The average COD and PCE removal rates for the whole activity period of the reactor were 91.4 and 99.5%, respectively; 1.1 ± 0.7% from the influent PCE was adsorbed on the biomass and 20% was found in the headspace. Conclusions: The AMBR reactor, which provides full-scale studies and uses real industrial wastewater polluted with PCE, is a simple, efficient, and reliable method for the treatment of PCE.

Experiments at DIII-D investigated the effects of magnetic error fields similar to those expected from proposed ITER test blanket modules (TBMs) containing ferromagnetic material. Studied were effects on: plasma rotation and locking, confinement, L-H transition, the H-mode pedestal, edge localized modes (ELMs) and ELM suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations, energetic particle losses, and more. The experiments used a purpose-built three-coil mock-up of two magnetized ITER TBMs in one ITER equatorial port. The largest effect was a reduction in plasma toroidal rotation velocity v across the entire radial profile by as much as Delta upsilon/upsilon similar to 60% via non-resonant braking. Changes to global Delta n/n, Delta beta/beta and Delta H(98)/H(98) were similar to 3 times smaller. These effects are stronger at higher beta. Other effects were smaller. The TBM field increased sensitivity to locking by an applied known n = 1 test field in both L-and H-mode plasmas. Locked mode tolerance was completely restored in L-mode by re-adjusting the DIII-D n = 1 error field compensation system. Numerical modelling by IPEC reproduces the rotation braking and locking semi-quantitatively, and identifies plasma amplification of a few n = 1 Fourier harmonics as the main cause of braking. IPEC predicts that TBM braking in H-mode may be reduced by n = 1 control. Although extrapolation from DIII-D to ITER is still an open issue, these experiments suggest that a TBM-like error field will produce only a few potentially troublesome problems, and that they might be made acceptably small.

Growth of phototrophic bacteria was induced from granules in a lighted upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (LUASB) reactor supplied with an organic-acid-based medium containing 141.7 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under light conditions (100 microE.m(-2).s(-1)). We investigated the population dynamics of phototrophic bacteria in the LUASB reactor and the performance of the LUASB reactor for wastewater treatment and poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production under anaerobic light and sulfate-rich conditions. In vivo absorption spectra and a colony count suggested that populations of Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Blastochloris sulfoviridis in the LUASB reactor supplied with a medium containing 574.4 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under light conditions were lower than those supplied with a medium containing 1.0 or 141.7 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under parallel conditions. Removal efficiencies of ammonium and phosphate in the LUASB reactor supplied with the medium containing 141.7 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under light conditions were higher than those under parallel conditions but without illumination. The difference in the results of runs under light or dark conditions suggested that the ammonium and phosphate ion removal efficiencies were improved by increasing the amount of phototrophic bacterial biomass in the LUASB reactor under sulfate-rich conditions. The average PHB production rates of the bacterial cells recovered from the effluent of the LUASB reactor supplied with a medium containing 141.7, 283.5 or 574.4 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) were 1.0-2.9 mg.l(-1)-reactor.d(-1) and the average PHB content based on the dry bacterial biomass was 1.4-3.6%.

The goal of this dissertation is to examine the neutronic properties of a novel type of fusion reactor blanket material in the form of lithium-based ternary alloys. Pure liquid lithium, first proposed as a blanket for fusion reactors, is utilized as both a tritium breeder and a coolant. It has many attractive features such as high heat transfer and low corrosion properties, but most importantly, it has a very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns including degradation of the concrete containment structure. The work of this thesis began as a collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in an effort to develop a lithium-based ternary alloy that can maintain the beneficial properties of lithium while reducing the reactivity concerns. The first studies down-selected alloys based on the analysis and performance of both neutronic and activation characteristics. First, 3-D Monte Carlo calculations were performed to evaluate two main neutronics performance parameters for the blanket: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and energy multiplication factor (EMF). Alloys with adequate results based on TBR and EMF calculations were considered for activation analysis. Activation simulations were executed with 50 years of irradiation and 300 years of cooling. It was discovered that bismuth is a poor choice due to achieving the highest decay heat, contact dose rates, and accident doses. In addition, it does not meet the waste disposal ratings (WDR). The straightforward approach to obtain Monte Carlo TBR and EMF results required 231 simulations per alloy and became computationally expensive, time consuming, and inefficient. Consequently, alternate methods were pursued. A collision history-based methodology recently developed for the Monte Carlo code Serpent, calculates perturbation effects on practically

The design progress in a compact low aspect ratio (low A) DEMO reactor, 'SlimCS', and its design issues are reported. The design study focused mainly on the torus configuration including the blanket, divertor, materials and maintenance scheme. For continuity with the Japanese ITER-TBM, the blanket is based on a water-cooled solidbreederblanket. For vertical stability of the elongated plasma and high beta access, the blanket is segmented into replaceable and permanent blankets and a sector-wide conducting shell is arranged inbetween these blankets. A numerical calculation indicates that fuel self-sufficiency can be satisfied when the blanket interior is ideally fabricated. An allowable heat load to the divertor plate should be 8 MW m-2 or lower, which can be a critical constraint for determining a handling power of DEMO.

Highlights: • Determination of an optimal configuration for the breeder zone cooling tubes. • Attention has been focused on the toroidal–radial breeder zone cooling tubes lay out. • A theoretical-computational approach based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) has been followed, adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. • Five different configurations have been investigated to optimize the breeder zone cooling tubes arrangement fulfilling all the rules prescribed by safety codes. - Abstract: The determination of an optimal configuration for the breeder zone (BZ) cooling tubes is one of the most important issues in the DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) breeding blanket R&D activities, since BZ cooling tubes spatial distribution should ensure an efficient heat power removal from the breeder, avoiding hotspots occurrence in the thermal field. Within the framework of R&D activities supported by the HORIZON 2020 EUROfusion Consortium action on the DEMO WCLL breeding blanket design, a campaign of parametric analyses has been launched at the Department of Energy, Information Engineering and Mathematical Models of the University of Palermo (DEIM), in close cooperation with ENEA-Brasimone, in order to assess the potential influence of BZ cooling tubes number on the thermal performances of the DEMO WCLL outboard breeding blanket equatorial module under the nominal steady state operative conditions envisaged for it, optimizing their geometric configuration and taking also into account that a large number of cooling pipes can deteriorate the tritium breeding performances of the module. In particular, attention has been focused on the toroidal-radial option for the BZ tube bundles lay-out and a parametric study has been carried out taking into account different tube bundles arrangement within the module. The study has been carried out following a numerical approach, based on the finite element method (FEM), and adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. Results

The analysis of neutron balance relation for a subcritical system with external source shows that a high ratio of neutron utilization (conversion ratio, breeding ratio) much exceeding similar values for nuclear reactors (both thermal or fast spectrum) is reachable in accelerator/target/blanket system with high external neutron source intensity. An accelerator/target/blanket systems with thermal power in blanket about 1850 Mwt and operating during 30 years have been investigated. Continual feed up by plutonium (fissile material) and Tc-99 (transmuted material) was assumed. Accelerator beam intensity differed 6.3 times (16 mA-Case 1, and 100 mA-Case 2). Conversion ratio (CR) was defined as the ratio of Tc-99 nuclei transmuted to the number of Pu nuclei consumed. The results for two cases are as follows: Case 1Case 2CR 0.77 1.66N(LWR) 8.6 19.1Power MWt(el) 512 225 where N(LWR)-number of LWRs(3000 MWt(th)) from which yearly discharge of Tc-99 is transmuted during 30 years. High value of conversion ratio considerably exceeding 1 (CR=1.66) was obtained in the system with high source intensity as compared with low source system (CR=0.77). Net output of electric power of high source intensity system is about twice lower due to consumption of electric power for accelerator feed up. The loss of energy for Tc-99 transmutation is estimated as 40 Mev(el)/nuclei. Yet high conversion ratio (or breeding ratio) achievable in electronuclear installations with high intensity of external source can effectively be used to close fuel cycle (including incineration of wastes) or to develop growing nuclear power production system.

Inventory calculations have a key role to play in designing future fusion power plants because, for a given irradiation field and material, they can predict the time evolution in chemical composition, activation, decay heat, gamma-dose, gas production, and even damage (dpa) dose. For conceptual designs of the European DEMO fusion reactor such calculations provide information about the neutron shielding requirements, maintenance schedules, and waste disposal prospects; thereby guiding future development. Extensive neutron-transport and inventory calculations have been performed for a reference DEMO reactor model with four different tritium-breeding blanketconcepts. The results have been used to chart the post-operation variation in activity and decay heat from different vessel components, demonstrating that the shielding performance of the different blanket concepts—for a given blanket thickness—varies significantly. Detailed analyses of the simulated nuclide inventories for the vacuum vessel (VV) and divertor highlight the most dominant radionuclides, potentially suggesting how changes in material composition could help to reduce activity. Minor impurities in the raw composition of W used in divertor tiles, for example, are shown to produce undesirable long-lived radionuclides. Finally, waste classifications, based on UK regulations, and a recycling potential limit, have been applied to estimate the time-evolution in waste masses for both the entire vessel (including blanket modules, VV, divertor, and some ex-vessel components) and individual components, and also to suggest when a particular component might be suitable for recycling. The results indicate that the large mass of the VV will not be classifiable as low level waste on the 100 year timescale, but the majority of the divertor will be, and that both components will be potentially recyclable within that time.

The status and key issues of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels R&D are reviewed as the primary candidate structural material for fusion energy demonstration reactor blankets. This includes manufacturing technology, the as-fabricated and irradiates material database and joining technologies. The review indicated that the manufacturing technology, joining technology and database accumulation including irradiation data are ready for initial design activity, and also identifies various issues that remain to be solved for engineering design activity and qualification of the material for international fusion material irradiation facility (IFMIF) irradiation experiments that will validate the data base.

The status and key issues of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels R&D are reviewed as the primary candidate structural material for fusion energy demonstration reactor blankets. This includes manufacturing technology, the as-fabricated and irradiates material database and joining technologies. The review indicated that the manufacturing technology, joining technology and database accumulation including irradiation data are ready for initial design activity, and also identifies various issues that remain to be solved for engineering design activity and qualification of the material for international fusion material irradiation facility (IFMIF) irradiation experiments that will validate the data base.

Non-Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (NRBS) for the composition analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the crystallographic structure analysis have been applied to the blanket candidate material, Li2TiO3, which is known to absorb CO2 though chemically stable. It is found that the amount of CO2 absorbed by atmospheric exposure of the low- and medium-density samples is greater than or comparable to that by dry CO2 gas exposure. By varying the density of the Li2TiO3 and composition of the ambient gas, conditions to minimize the amount of CO2 absorbed are discussed.

The main intention of this book is to describe and develop the conceptual, structural and abstract thinking of mathematics. Specific mathematical structures are used to illustrate the conceptual approach; providing a deeper insight into mutual relationships and abstract common features. These ideas are carefully motivated, explained and illustrated by examples so that many of the more technical proofs can be omitted. The book can therefore be used: · simply as an overview of the panorama of mathematical structures and the relations between them, to be supplemented by more detailed texts whenever you want to acquire a working knowledge of some structure · by itself as a first introduction to abstract mathematics · together with existing textbooks, to put their results into a more general perspective · to gain a new and hopefully deeper perspective after having studied such textbooks Mathematical Concepts has a broader scope and is less detaile...

A TRISO-coated fuel thermo-mechanical performance study is performed for the hybrid LIFE engine to test the viability of TRISO particles to achieve ultra-high burnup of a weapons-grade Pu blanket. Our methodology includes full elastic anisotropy, time and temperature varying material properties for all TRISO layers, and a procedure to remap the elastic solutions in order to achieve fast fluences up to 30 x 10{sup 25} n {center_dot} m{sup -2} (E > 0.18 MeV). In order to model fast fluences in the range of {approx} 7 {approx} 30 x 10{sup 25} n {center_dot} m{sup -2}, for which no data exist, careful scalings and extrapolations of the known TRISO material properties are carried out under a number of potential scenarios. A number of findings can be extracted from our study. First, failure of the internal pyrolytic carbon (PyC) layer occurs within the first two months of operation. Then, the particles behave as BISO-coated particles, with the internal pressure being withstood directly by the SiC layer. Later, after 1.6 years, the remaining PyC crumbles due to void swelling and the fuel particle becomes a single-SiC-layer particle. Unrestrained by the PyC layers, and at the temperatures and fluences in the LIFE engine, the SiC layer maintains reasonably-low tensile stresses until the end-of-life. Second, the PyC creep constant, K, has a striking influence on the fuel performance of TRISO-coated particles, whose stresses scale almost inversely proportional to K. Obtaining more reliable measurements, especially at higher fluences, is an imperative for the fidelity of our models. Finally, varying the geometry of the TRISO-coated fuel particles results in little differences in the scope of fuel performance. The mechanical integrity of 2-cm graphite pebbles that act as fuel matrix has also been studied and it is concluded that they can reliable serve the entire LIFE burnup cycle without failure.

Heightened levels of degradation in response to environmental change have resulted in an increased loss of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the drainage waters of many peatland catchments across Europe and North America. One significant threat to peatland sustainability has been the installation of artificial drainage ditches, and although recent restoration schemes have pursued drain blocking as a possible strategy for reducing degradation and fluvial carbon losses, little is known about how such processes influence the intimate biological systems operating within these soils. This paper investigates how disturbance, in the form of drainage and drain blocking, influences the rate of microbial activity within a peat soil, and the subsequent impact this has on DOC production potential. Peat samples were extracted from three treatment sites (intact peat, drained peat and drain-blocked peat) in an upland blanket peat catchment in the UK. Microbial activity was measured via laboratory experimentation that incorporated the use of an INT-Formazan dehydrogenase enzyme assay to assess the level of electron transport system (ETS) activity occurring within each treatment. Drainage significantly lowered the height of the water table relative to the intact peat, whilst drain blocking successfully rewetted the peat, having raised the height of the water table relative to the drained site. Mean microbial activity rates at the drained site were found to be 33 % greater than the undisturbed intact peat and almost double that of the restored, drain-blocked site. These results correspond well with previously published data observing significantly greater DOC concentrations in the pore waters of the drained site and significantly lower concentrations at the blocked site, relative to the intact peat. Data from the drain-blocked treatment also provides evidence contrary to the commonly quoted hypothesis that an enzyme-latch reaction may be sustained in drained peat, even once it has

Target-blanket facility `Energy + Transmutation' was irradiated by proton beam extracted from the Nuclotron Accelerator in Laboratory of High Energies of Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Neutrons generated by the spallation reactions of 0.7, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 GeV protons and lead target interact with subcritical uranium blanket. In the neutron field outside the blanket, radioactive iodine, neptunium, plutonium and americium samples were irradiated and transmutation reaction yields (residual nuclei production yields) have been determined using -spectroscopy. Neutron field's energy distribution has also been studied using a set of threshold detectors. Results of transmutation studies of 129I, 237Np, 238Pu, 239Pu and 241Am are presented.

Blanketed sediment beds can have different bed mobility characteristics relative to those of beds composed of uniform grain-size distribution. Most of the processes that affect bed mobility act in the direct vicinity of the bed or even within the bed itself. To simulate the general conditions of analogue experiments, a high-resolution three-dimensional numerical `flume tank' model was developed using a coupled finite difference method flow model and a discrete element method particle model. The method was applied to investigate the physical processes within blanketed sediment beds under the influence of varying flow velocities. Four suites of simulations, in which a matrix of uniform large grains (600 μm) was blanketed by variably thick layers of small particles (80 μm; blanket layer thickness approx. 80, 350, 500 and 700 μm), were carried out. All beds were subjected to five predefined flow velocities ( U 1-5=10-30 cm/s). The fluid profiles, relative particle distances and porosity changes within the bed were determined for each configuration. The data show that, as the thickness of the blanket layer increases, increasingly more small particles accumulate in the indentations between the larger particles closest to the surface. This results in decreased porosity and reduced flow into the bed. In addition, with increasing blanket layer thickness, an increasingly larger number of smaller particles are forced into the pore spaces between the larger particles, causing further reduction in porosity. This ultimately causes the interstitial flow, which would normally allow entrainment of particles in the deeper parts of the bed, to decrease to such an extent that the bed is stabilized.

Highlights: ► The BSM of the ECH Launcher is attached to the Launcher Main Frame by a bolted joint. ► The bolts were designed as “captive” in order to avoid their accidental removal from the joint. ► The bolted flange connection using two sets of 15 captive bolts (M22 × 2) placed along the sides. ► The captive bolt design is based on a concept that uses a dedicated spring ring, a standard spiral spring and a tensioning screw with two threads to secure the bolts in a form-locking stop. -- Abstract: The final design of the structural system for the ITER EC H and CD upper launcher is in progress. Many design features of the preliminary design are under revision with the aim to achieve the built-to-print-status. This paper deals with design and analysis of a bolted joint for the Blanket Shield Module with special perspective on Remote Handling capability. The BSM of the ECH Launcher is attached to the Launcher Main Frame by a bolted joint conceived so that in the Hot Cell Facility, RH maintenance can be performed on internal components. The joint must be capable to resist very high Electro-Magnetic loads from disruptions, while it has to sustain substantial thermal cycling during operation. Thus the need for a rigid and reliable design is essential. Beside the set of pre-stressed bolts the flanges were therefore equipped with additional shear keys to divert radial moments away from the bolts. Main focus of the work performed was the mechanical design of the joint and the assessment of the structural integrity with respect to the loads applied and its capability for maintenance by RH procedures. To fulfill a major aspect of the RH requirements, the bolts were designed as “captive” in order to avoid their accidental removal from the joint. The captive bolt design is based on a concept that uses a dedicated spring ring, a standard spiral spring and a tensioning screw with two threads to secure the bolts in a form-locking stop. The final approval phase of

Highlights: • PWHT for ITER blanket shield block should be performed for dimensional stability. • Investigation of the effect of PWHT conditions on properties was performed. • Instrumented indentation method for evaluation of properties was used. • Residual stress and hardness decreased with increasing PWHT temperature. • Optimization of PWHT conditions would be needed for satisfaction of requirement. - Abstract: The blanket shield block (SB) shall be required the tight tolerance because SB interfaces with many components, such as flexible support keypads, First Wall (FW) support contact surfaces, FW central bolt, electrical strap contact surfaces and attachment inserts for both FW and Vacuum Vessel (VV). In order to fulfil the tight tolerance requirement, stress relieving shall be performed for dimensional stability after cover welding operation. In this paper, effect of Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) conditions, temperature and holding time, was investigated on the residual stress and hardness. The 316L Stainless Steel (SS) was prepared and welded by manual TIG welding by using filler material with 2.4 mm of diameter. Welded 316L SS plate was machined to prepare the specimen for PWHT. PWHT was implemented at 250, 300, 400 °C for 2 and 3 h (400 °C only) and residual stress after relaxation were determined. The evaluation of residual stress and hardness for each specimen was carried out by instrumented indentation technique. The residual stress and hardness were decreased with increasing the heat treatment temperature and holding time.

Highlights: • Residual stresses were determined in a welded EUROFER blanket assembly with integrated cooling channels. • Good agreement was seen between experimentally determined and predicted stresses. • We show that microstructure changes that occur in EUROFER steels during welding must be considered for residual stress determination. • An experimental route is proposed for validation of predicted stresses in reactor components using non-destructive diffraction techniques. - Abstract: Whilst the structural integrity and lifetime considerations in welded joints for blanket modules can be predicted using finite element software, it is essential to prove the validity of these simulations. This paper provides detailed analysis for the first time, of the residual stress state in a laser-welded sample with integral cooling channels. State-of-the-art non-destructive neutron diffraction was employed to determine the triaxial stress state and to understand microstructural changes around the heat affected zone. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to probe the variation of strain-free lattice reference parameter around the weld zone allowing correction of the neutron measurements. This paper details an important experimental route to validation of predicted stresses in complex safety-critical reactor components for future applications.

This document concerns the award of a blanket contract for the supply of encapsulated-winding dry-type power transformers. Following a market survey carried out among 75 firms in seventeen Member States, a call for tenders (IT-2745/ST) was sent on 5 May 2000 to eight firms in four Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received tenders from six firms in four Member States. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket contract with TESAR (IT), the lowest bidder, for the supply of encapsulated-winding dry-type power transformers for a total amount of 6 150 000 000 Italian lira, not subject to revision until 31 December 2002. At the exchange rate stipulated in the tender, this amount is equivalent to approximately 5 000 000 Swiss francs. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: IT - 78%, NO - 17% and DE - 5%.

The research study focuses on the neutronic design analysis and optimization of one of the options for a fusion reactor designed as DCLL (dual coolant lithium-lead). The main objective has been to develop an efficient and technologically viable modular DCLL breeding blanket (BB) using the DEMO generic design specifications established within the EUROfusion Programme. The final neutronic design has to satisfy the requirements of: tritium self-sufficiency; BB thermal efficiency; preservation of plasma confinement; temperature limits imposed by materials; and radiation limits to guarantee the largest operational life for all the components. Therefore, a 3D fully heterogeneous DCLL neutronic model has been developed for the DEMO baseline 2014 determining its behaviour under the real operational conditions of the DEMO reactor. Consequent actions have been adopted to improve its performances. Neutronic assessments have specially addressed tritium breeding ratio, multiplication energy factor, power density distributions, damage and shielding responses. The model has then been adapted to the subsequent DEMO baseline 2015 (with a more powerful and bigger plasma, smaller divertor and bigger blanket segments), implying new design choices to improve the reactor nuclear performances.

This document concerns the award of a blanket contract for the supply, installation and maintenance of the LHC access control system. Following a market survey carried out among 134 firms in fifteen Member States, a call for tenders (IT-3026/TS/LHC) was sent on 22 January 2004 to eight firms and eight consortia in six Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received nine tenders from two firms and seven consortia in five Member States. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket contract with the consortium CEGELEC CENTRE EST (FR) - CEGELEC (NL), the lowest technically compliant bidder, for the supply, installation and maintenance of the LHC access control system for a total amount not exceeding 4 600 000 euros (7 141 000 Swiss francs), subject to revision for inflation from 1 January 2007. The rate of exchange used is that stipulated in the tender. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: FR - ...

This document concerns the renewal of a blanket purchase contract for the supply and maintenance of VME single-board computers for the LHC and its injectors. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of the renewal of the blanket purchase contract with CREATIVE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (CH) for the supply and maintenance of VME single-board computers for the LHC and its injectors for an estimated total amount not exceeding 1 000 000 Swiss francs for the period 2007-2009.

This document concerns the award of a blanket purchase contract for the supply of high-performance concentration switches for the LHC. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket purchase contract with HEWLETT PACKARD (CH), the lowest bidder complying with the specification, for the supply of high-performance concentration switches, the necessary training of CERN personnel and five years' maintenance of the equipment for a total amount not exceeding 8 040 000 Swiss francs for a period of five years.

Highlights: • A DEMO WCLL blanket module thermo-mechanical behaviour has been investigated. • Two models of the WCLL blanket module have been set-up adopting a code based on FEM. • The water flow domain in the module has been considered. • A set of uncoupled steady state thermo-mechanical analyses has been carried out. • Critical temperature is not overcome. Safety verifications are generally satisfied. - Abstract: Within the framework of DEMO R&D activities, a research cooperation has been launched between ENEA, the University of Palermo and CEA to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the outboard equatorial module of the DEMO1 Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) blanket under normal operation steady state scenario. The research campaign has been carried out following a theoretical–computational approach based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. In particular, two different 3D FEM models (Model 1 and Model 2), reproducing respectively the central and the lateral poloidal–radial slices of the WCLL blanket module, have been set up. A particular attention has been paid to the modelling of water flow domain, within both the segment box channels and the breeder zone tubes, to simulate realistically the coolant-box thermal coupling. Results obtained are herewith reported and critically discussed.

A series of analyses were performed to assess the thermal performance characteristics of the Shippingport Pressurized Water Reactor Core 2 Blanket Fuel Assemblies as loaded within a Multi-Canister Overpack within the Canister Storage Building. A two-dimensional finite element was developed, with enough detail to model the individual fuel plates: including the fuel wafers, cladding, and flow channels.

The tritium recovery system for the US ITER Li{sub 2}O/Be water cooled blanket processes two separate helium purge streams to recover tritium from the Li{sub 2}O zones and the Be zones of the blanket, to process the waste products, and to recirculate the helium back to the blanket. The components are selected to minimize the tritium inventory of the recovery system, and to minimize waste products. The system is robust to either an increase in the tritium release rate or to an in-leak of water in the purge system. Three major components were used to process these streams, first, 5A molecular sieves at {minus}196{degree}C separate hydrogen from the helium, second, a solid oxide electrolysis unit is used to reduce all molecular water, and third, a palladium/silver diffuser is used to ensure that only hydrogen (H{sub 2}, HT) species reach the cryogenic distillation unit. Other units are present to recover tritium from waste products but the three major components are the basis of the blanket tritium recovery system. 32 refs.

The final design of the structural system for the ITER EC H&CD upper launcher is in progress. Many design features of the preliminary design are under revision with the aim to achieve the built-to-print-status. This paper deals with design and analysis of a bolted joint for the Blanket Shield Mo

This computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis aims to evaluate the flow structures and heat transfer characteristics in Sphere Packed Pipe (SPP) for potential application in fusion reactors. The SPP consists of metal spheres which are packed in a pipe and disturb the flow inside of the pipe to boost the heat transfer. One of the potential applications of SPP is using it at the first wall of Force Free Helical Reactors (FFHR). The numerical model has improved on the numerical model, gaps between pebbles and channel wall, and turbulent model compared to previous numerical studies. The standard κε- model, Omega Reynolds stress model, the Shear Stress Transport (SST) model and κε EARSM/BSL have been applied as turbulence model to examine the effect of turbulence model on validation of numerical results. The present numerical model can be used in the design of the blanket of fusion reactor.

Whilst the structural integrity and lifetime considerations in welded joints for blanket modules can be predicted using finite element software, it is essential to prove the validity of these simulations. This paper provides detailed analysis for the first time, of the residual stress state in a laser-welded sample with integral cooling channels. State-of-the-art non-destructive neutron diffraction was employed to determine the triaxial stress state and to understand microstructural changes around the heat affected zone. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to probe the variation of strain-free lattice reference parameter around the weld zone allowing correction of the neutron measurements. This paper details an important experimental route to validation of predicted stresses in complex safety-critical reactor components for future applications.

This document concerns the supply of thyratrons to be used as high-voltage and high-current switches for the fast-pulsed magnet systems of the CERN accelerators and for the protection of the klystrons of RF systems. Following a market survey (MS-3136/SL/LHC) carried out among 18 firms in ten Member States, CERN entered into negotiations with one firm in one Member State. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation, without competitive tendering, of a new blanket order with E2V TECHNOLOGIES (GB) for up to 800 000 pounds sterling to cover the supply of thyratrons for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005, subject to price revision for inflation for deliveries after 31 December 2003. At the present rate of exchange, this amount is equivalent to 1 855 000 Swiss francs. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the order value covered by this adjudication proposal: GB - 100%.

This document concerns the supply of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and fieldbus equipment for the CERN accelerators, technical services and experiments. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of two blanket contracts with SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIE (FR) and SIEMENS SUISSE S.A. (CH), without competitive tendering, for the supply of PLCs and fieldbus equipment for an estimated total annual amount covering both contracts not exceeding 2 000 000 Swiss francs for three years. SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIE (FR) has declared the following origin of the equipment relating to this adjudication proposal: FR-100%. SIEMENS SUISSE S.A. (CH) has declared the following origin of the equipment relating to this adjudication proposal: DE-100%.

Highlights: • New processes for barriers based on electroplating introduced in the last years. • New processes ECA and ECX able to overcome former fabrication problems. • Scales by ECA showed long-term compatibility in flowing Pb–Li (>12,000 h). • Further fusion relevant characterization and optimization of scales is required. • Qualification of T-permeation properties is urgently needed. - Abstract: Low-activation-ferritic–martensitic (RAFM) steels are candidates for structural materials in different blanket designs foreseen for DEMO and partly for TBM's tested in ITER. In all designs the liquid breeder Pb–15.7Li is in direct contact with the structural material, and thus two major topics – corrosion and T-permeation – influence the reliable, safe and economical application of such combination of breeder and structural material. As bare RAFM steels exhibit high corrosion rates of up to 400 μm/h in flowing Pb–15.7Li, Al-based coatings made by different coating processes were developed during the last 15 years and showed promising results in protecting RAFM steels from corrosion and T-permeation reduction. Especially barriers made by HDA, and electroplating (ECA, ECX), proved their ability to protect Eurofer against corrosion in flowing Pb–15.7Li. However, available T-permeation data for coated RAFM steels are rare and partly ambiguous for these coatings. This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art of aluminum-based barrier development and points out gaps and needs in future scale characterization and T-permeation barrier development. Additionally, necessary qualification steps on the path toward a reliable fabrication route are presented that is required to produce aluminum-based corrosion and T-permeation barriers on RAFM steels for blanket applications in future fusion reactors like DEMO.

Different theorists have suggested that an individual's view of God may be related to one's view of one's father, one's mother, or one's self. A study was conducted to examine the relationship of college students' conceptions of the wrathfulness-kindliness of God to their conceptions of their father's and mother's permissiveness, authoritarianism,…

Nursing theory challenges students to think abstractly and is often a difficult introduction to graduate study. Traditionally, concept analysis is useful in facilitating this abstract thinking. Concept maps are a way to visualize an individual's knowledge about a specific topic. Serial concept maps express the sequential evolution of a student's perceptions of a selected concept. Maps reveal individual differences in learning and perceptions, as well as progress in understanding the concept. Relationships are assessed and suggestions are made during serial mapping, which actively engages the students and faculty in dialogue that leads to increased understanding of the link between nursing theory and practice. Serial concept mapping lends itself well to both online and traditional classroom environments.

As for Light Water Reactors (LWRs), one of the most challenging accidents for the future DEMOnstration power plant is the Loss of Coolant Accident, which can trigger the pressurization of the confinement structures and components. Hence, careful analyses have to be executed to demonstrate that the confinement barriers are able to withstand the pressure peak within design limits and the residual cooling capabilities of the Primary Heat Transfer System are sufficient to remove the decay heat. T...

The goal of developing a new source of electric power based on fusion has been pursued for decades. If successful, future fusion power plants will help meet growing world-wide demand for electric power. A key feature and selling point for fusion is that its fuel supply is widely distributed globally and virtually inexhaustible. Current world-wide research on fusion energy is focused on the deuterium-tritium (DT for short) fusion reaction since it will be the easiest to achieve in terms of the conditions (e.g., temperature, density and confinement time of the DT fuel) required to produce net energy. Over the past decades countless studies have examined various concepts for TBBs for both magnetic fusion energy (MFE) and inertial fusion energy (IFE). At this time, the key organizations involved are government sponsored research organizations world-wide. The near-term focus of the MFE community is on the development of TBB mock-ups to be tested on the ITER tokamak currently under construction in Caderache France. TBB concepts for IFE tend to be different from MFE primarily due to significantly different operating conditions and constraints. This report focuses on longer-term commercial power plants where the key stakeholders include: electric utilities, plant owner and operator, manufacturer, regulators, utility customers, and in-plant subsystems including the heat transfer and conversion systems, fuel processing system, plant safety systems, and the monitoring control systems.

This is the initial issue of the guidebook. Since a guidebook of this type must incorporate information concerning a wide range of subjects, much additional data will eventually be included. The guidebook will document, in summary and easily referenceable form, data, designs, design concepts, design guidelines and background information useful to the FWBS and to the Maintenance System designer. In providing guidelines for the AMR of the FWBS, the guidebook must, of necessity, include guidelines for all aspects of maintenance associated with the FWBS. These include most maintenance operations within the reactor room necessary to gain access, identify faults, and handle equipment related to FWBS maintenance. In addition, the guidelines include those required to define facility requirements for handling and repair of FWBS and related reactor components external to the reactor room. Particular emphasis is given to remote maintenance design and operations.

This paper provides an overview of the work that has been done regarding the Extended Enterprise concept in the Common Concept team of Globeman 21 including references to results deliverables concerning the development of the Extended Enterprise concept. The first section presents the basic concept...... picture from Globeman21, which illustrates the Globeman21 way of realising the Extended Enterprise concept. The second section presents the Globeman21 EE concept in a life cycle perspective, which to a large extent is based on the thoughts and ideas behind GERAM (ISO/DIS 15704)....

The Flow Country of Northern Scotland is the largest area of contiguous blanket bog in the UK covering an area in excess of 400 km2. This region is the single largest peat and soil C repository in the UK, and plays a key role in mediating regional atmospheric exchanges of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and water vapour (H2O). However, these peatlands were subject to significant afforestation in the 1980s, where large areas of blanket bog were drained and planted with Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), resulting in modifications to micro-topographic features, vegetation composition and soil properties such as bulk density and water holding capacity, all of which are known to influence the production and emission of key GHGs. Since the late 1990s restoration work has been undertaken to remove forest plantations and to restore the peatland areas by raising the water table, predominantly by drain and furrow blocking, in order to encourage the recolonisation of Sphagnum species. Here we report findings from an eddy covariance study of CO2 and H2O exchange from an unmanaged peatland and a chronosequence of restored peatland sites, which were felled in 1998 and 2004. Located within the Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve in Northern Scotland, these sites are being studied to better understand the key drivers of carbon dynamics in these ecosystems and also assess the age-dependent impacts of peatland restoration on the net CO2 sink strength. Preliminary data show rates of CO2 uptake increased with time since restoration, with peak assimilation rates of -9.9 and -14.4 micro mol CO2 m-2 s-1 measured at the 10 and 16 year old restoration sites, respectively. Carbon losses through ecosystem respiration followed a similar pattern. The data collected to date indicates that while peatland restoration is actively increasing CO2 uptake at each of the sites, more long-term observational data is required to

The joining technology of first wall blanket has been developed by JAERI in collaboration with Kawasaki Heavy Industry, Isuau Motors and University of Tsukuba in Japan. A variety of joining technologies including HIP, brazing, casing and friction welding was applied to the manufacturing of SS/SS and Cu/SS joint. In Be/Cu joining, it was emphasized to find the optimal HIP temperature lower than 650 .deg. C in order to avoid excessive SS sensitization because the joining of Be tile to Cu heat sink is a final processing step in the manufacturing of FW blanket. The selected HIP condition were 620 .deg. C, 150MPa and 2hr with Cu interlayer. Sample tests for joints was completed by 1995. The small scale mockup was manufactured and its performance was qualified by end of 2000. From 2001, the manufacturing and the characterization has been carried out for the larger scale mockup.

This document concerns the award of a blanket contract for the supply and installation of water-cooled bus bars and cables for the LHC project. Following a market survey carried out among 22 firms in six Member States, a call for tenders (IT-2941/ST/LHC) was sent on 30 June 2003 to three firms in two Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received tenders from the three firms. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket contract with FLOHE (DE), the lowest bidder, for the supply and installation of water-cooled bus bars and cables, for a total amount not exceeding 2 900 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision after 1 January 2005 according to the LME copper prices. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: DE - 100%.

This document concerns the award of a blanket purchase contract for the supply of high performance ten-Gigabit Ethernet routers for the LHC. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket purchase contract with the consortium T-SYSTEMS (DE) â?" FORCE10 (US), the lowest bidder complying with the specification, for the supply of high performance ten-Gigabit Ethernet routers, the necessary training of CERN personnel and five yearsâ?? maintenance of the equipment for a total amount not exceeding 6 382 000 US dollars (7 593 671 Swiss francs) for a period of five years. The rate of exchange used is that stipulated in the tender.

This document concerns the award of a blanket contract, without competitive tendering, for the packaging of custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for the CMS experiment. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket contract, without competitive tendering, with ASAT (HK) for the packaging of custom ASICs for use in the CMS experiment, over a period of two years for a total estimated amount not exceeding 700 000 US dollars. At the present rate of exchange this is equivalent to approximately 910 000 Swiss francs of which CERN will contribute a total amount not exceeding 683 000 Swiss francs. The remaining amount will be financed by the other participating institutes of the CMS experiment. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: HK - 100%.

This document concerns the renewal of two blanket purchase contracts for the supply of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and fieldbus equipment for the CERN accelerators, technical services and experiments. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of the renewal of two blanket purchase contracts with SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (FR) and SIEMENS SUISSE (CH), without competitive tendering, for the supply of PLCs and fieldbus equipment for an estimated total amount covering both contracts not exceeding 2 000 000 Swiss francs per year for a period of three years. The firms have indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication proposal: - SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC: FR-100%, - SIEMENS SUISSE: DE-100%.

支援干扰是压制性雷达干扰无人机作战使用的重要方式。提取了压制扇面作为支援干扰的效能指标，构建了静态、动态压制扇面计算模型，推导了动态压制扇面计算方程，针对典型装备进行仿真，揭示了压制效果和压制时长之间的内在关系，绘制了压制扇面随作战时间演进的变化曲线图。针对支援干扰作战特点，计算了压制性雷达干扰无人机压制的起始时刻与位置、终止时刻与位置以及压制时长等作战行动要素。%Support jamming is one of the most important operations manner in using blanket radar jamming UAV. The blanket jamming sector is distilled as the measure of support jamming operations effectiveness,the models of static and dynamic blanket jamming sector are upbuilt,the dynamic blanket jamming sector equation is deduced. Aiming at the quintessential equipment,the blanket jamming sector is simulated,and the intrinsic relationship between the blanket jamming effects and time is exposed,and the figures of blanket jamming sector and time are plotted as a graph. According to support jamming operations,the operations factors of blanket radar jamming UAV are reckoned,such as beginning time and position,ending time and position,lasting time and so on.

The CFAR (compact fusion advanced Rankine) cycle concept for a tokamak reactor involves the use of a high-temperature Rankine cycle in combination with microwave superheaters and nonequilibrium MHD disk generators to obtain a compact, low-capital-cost power conversion system which fits almost entirely within the reactor vault. The significant savings in the balance-of-plant costs are expected to result in much lower costs of electricity than previous concepts. This paper describes the unique features of the CFAR cycle and a high- temperature blanket designed to take advantage of it as well as the predicted performance of the MHD disk generators using mercury seeded with cesium. 40 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

Blanket-shield system in ITER is the component where it directly is faced with high-heat plasma. Function of blanket is to sustain extremely high temperature environment as well as to remove heat flux generated its surface. It mainly consists of plasma facing part, heat sinking part and structural part. Plasma facing part is made of armour materials such as beryllium, tungsten and carbon fiber composite. Heat sinking part is made of copper alloy to maximize heat transfer into flowing coolant inside of blanket. Structural material is used in 316LN stainless steel. As joining such dissimilar materials emerged as an issue, many developed countries have spurred the development of joint technology. This technical report was focused on the activities of EU regarding joining beryllium, copper and stainless steel. EU have adopted to Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) to join beryllium, copper and stainless steel. Although brazing process is not actively investigated compared as HIP, it still investigated in some countries to support HIP. Fabrication of mock-up is accomplished by CEA in France to finish small scale mock-up in 1996, medium and large scale mock-up in 1997. In recent, FRAMATOME in EU has focused on manufacturing prototype used for ITER.

The thorium resources in the world are relatively large. According to the IAEA-NEA-publication ''Red Book'' they amount to 4.5 10E6 metric tons and are about 4 times greater than the resources of Uranium. The fuel element described in this paper could be used in light water reactor (LWR) preferably in pressurized water reactor (PWR). The seed (feed) rods contain uranium 235 as fissionable material and the blanket (breed) rods contain thorium and uranium. The thorium in the blanket rods is converted to fissionable U-233 by irradiation with thermal neutrons. The U-233 produced is a valuable fissionable material and is characterized by high revalues, where t is defined as the number of fission neutrons per absorption in fissile materials. By optimized configuration and loading of the seed- and blanket rods the thorium is converted to U-233 and the U-238 is converted to fissionable Plutonium isotopes. Consequently more fissionable material is generated than is used. The fuel cycle is also flexible. Thus U-235, Pu-239 or weapons-grade Plutonium can be used.Based on knowledge obtained in the development of fuel elements for material test reactors (MTR), high temperature reactors (HTR) and light water reactors (LWR), a new design of fuel element suitable for thorium employment in PWR is described.

This document concerns the award of blanket contracts for the supply of the three following categories of equipment for the period 2001-2004: a) desktop PCs (complete PC systems but without display monitors), b) display monitors (conventional CRTs or flat screen LCDs) and c) portable PCs (also called notebooks or laptops). Following a market survey carried out among 41 firms in fourteen Member States, an invitation to tender (IT-2692/IT) was sent on 19 May 2000 to 12 firms and three consortia, each consisting of two firms, in five Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received seven tenders, all from the Swiss subsidiaries of the firms and consortia. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of - blanket contracts with VOBIS (CH), ELONEX (CH) and FUJITSU-SIEMENS (CH), the three lowest bidders complying with the specification, for the supply of Desktop PCs; - blanket contracts with VOBIS (CH), SYNOPTIC (CH) and ELONEX (CH), the three lowest bidders offering display monitors manufactur...

Highlights how key energy concepts surfaced, tracing their evolution throughout history to encompasses four economic concepts and four technological-engineering concepts developed through their history to conclude with current economic and environmental sciences Considers the process of energy-substitutions through complementary usages, hybridization and technological mixes Combines a conceptual approach with key theoretical concepts from engineering, geological and economic sciences providing cross disciplinary overview of energy fundamentals in a short and focused reading

Concept image and concept definition is an important construct in mathematics education. Its use, however, has been limited to cognitive studies. This article revisits concept image in the context of research on undergraduate students' understanding of the derivative which regards the context of learning as paramount. The literature, mainly on…

Threshold concepts can be identified for any discipline and provide a framework for linking student learning to curricular design. Threshold concepts represent a transformed understanding of a discipline, without which the learner cannot progress and are therefore pivotal in learning in a discipline. Although threshold concepts have been…

Two different conceptions of ability are proposed. The first conception of ability is more differentiated and generally employed by adults and older children. Here ability level is defined with reference to the performance of others assuming that optimum effort was employed. High ability means higher than others. The second conception of ability…

Computations in toroidal geometry are systematically performed for the plasma response to 3D magnetic perturbations produced by ferritic inserts (FIs) and test blanket modules (TBMs) for four ITER plasma scenarios: the 15 MA baseline, the 12.5 MA hybrid, the 9 MA steady state, and the 7.5 MA half-field helium plasma. Due to the broad toroidal spectrum of the FI and TBM fields, the plasma response for all the n = 1-6 field components are computed and compared. The plasma response is found to be weak for the high-n (n > 4) components. The response is not globally sensitive to the toroidal plasma flow speed, as long as the latter is not reduced by an order of magnitude. This is essentially due to the strong screening effect occurring at a finite flow, as predicted for ITER plasmas. The ITER error field correction coils (EFCC) are used to compensate the n = 1 field errors produced by FIs and TBMs for the baseline scenario for the purpose of avoiding mode locking. It is found that the middle row of the EFCC, with a suitable toroidal phase for the coil current, can provide the best correction of these field errors, according to various optimisation criteria. On the other hand, even without correction, it is predicted that these n = 1 field errors will not cause substantial flow damping for the 15 MA baseline scenario.

Vanadium-based alloys are most promising as low activation structural materials for DEMO. It was previously established that high priority is to be given to V-alloys of the V-Ti-Cr system as structural materials of a tritium breeding blanket and the first wall of a fusion reactor. However, there is some uncertainty in selecting a specific element ratio between the alloy components in this system. This is primarily explained by the fact that the properties of V-alloys are dictated not only by the ratio between the main alloying elements (here Ti and Cr), but also by impurities, both metallic and oxygen interstitials. Based on a number of papers today one can say that V-Ti-Cr alloys with insignificant variations in the contents of the main constituents within 5-10 mass% Ti and 4-6 mass% Cr must be taken as a base for subsequent optimization of chemical composition and thermomechanical working. However, the database is obviously insufficient to assess the ecological acceptability (activation), physical and mechanical properties, corrosion and irradiation resistance and, particularly, the commercial production of alloys. Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive studies of promising V-alloys, namely V-4Ti-4Cr and V-10Ti-5Cr. (orig.).

Textile wastewater (TW) is one of the most hazardous wastewater for the environment when discharged without proper treatment. Biological treatment technologies have shown encouraging results over the treatment of recalcitrant compounds containing wastewaters. Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) was evaluated in terms of colour and the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with different organic loads using TW containing dyes belonging to different chemical groups. The study was performed using six different dye concentrations (10 mg/L, 25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 150 mg/L, 300 mg/L) with three COD levels ({approx}1000 mg/L, {approx}2000 mg/L, {approx}3000 mg/L). Decolourization, COD removal and reactor stability were monitored. Over 85% of colour removal was observed with all dye concentrations with three organic loads. Acid Red 131 and Acid Yellow 79 were decolourized through biodegradation while Acid Blue 204 was decolourized due to adsorption onto anaerobic granules. COD removal was high in all dye concentrations, regardless of co-substrate levels. The reactor did not show any instability during the study. The activity of granules was not affected by the dyes. Methanothrix like bacteria were the dominant group in granules before introducing TW, however, they were reduced and cocci-shape microorganism increased after the treatment of textile wastewater.

A sub-critical advanced reactor based on Tokamak technology with a D-T fusion neutron source is an innovative type of nuclear system. Due to the large number of neutrons produced by fusion reactions, such a system could be useful in the transmutation process of transuranic elements (Pu and minor actinides (MAs)). However, to enhance the MA transmutation efficiency, it is necessary to have a large neutron wall loading (high neutron fluence) with a broad energy spectrum in the fast neutron energy region. Therefore, it is necessary to know and define the neutron fluence along the radial axis and its characteristics. In this work, the neutron flux and the interaction frequency along the radial axis are evaluated for various materials used to build the first wall. W alloy, beryllium, and the combination of both were studied, and the regions more suitable to transmutation were determined. The results demonstrated that the best zone in which to place a transmutation blanket is limited by the heat sink and the shield block. Material arrangements of W alloy/W alloy and W alloy/beryllium would be able to meet the requirements of the high fluence and hard spectrum that are needed for transuranic transmutation. The system was simulated using the MCNP code, data from the ITER Final Design Report, 2001, and the Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library/MC-2.1 nuclear data library.

Titanium alloys are recommended as a material to manufacture flexible attachments of the shield blanket modules in the ITER reactor owing to their advantageous combination of properties, i.e., high resistance to impact loading, strength, density and low thermal expansion coefficient. An additional factor for selecting Ti alloys is their fast induced radioactivity decay. The (α + β)-Ti alloys have higher strength than (α)-Ti alloys but are less developed. The data base on the irradiation behavior of these materials is limited. Neutron irradiation of (α)-Ti-4Al-2V (ΠT-3B) alloy has been performed in the framework of the ITER R&D programme. Specimens from a forging of Ti-4Al-2V alloy were irradiated in the IVV-2M reactor to doses of (0.32-0.43) dpa at temperatures of (240-260) °C. This paper describes the results of tensile, low cycle fatigue and fracture toughness tests of alloy in the unirradiated and neutron irradiated conditions. The results obtained are compared with those of the (α + β)-Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

The objective of this study is to develop (a) stable CaO insulator coatings at the Liquid-Li/structural-material interface, with emphasis on electrically insulating coating that prevent adverse MHD-generated currents from passing through the V-alloy wall, and (b) stable Be-V intermetallic coating for first-wall components that face the plasma. Electrically insulating and corrosion-resistant coatings are required at the liquid-Li/structural interface in fusion first-wall/blanket application. The electrical resistance of CaO coatings produced on oxygen-enriched surface layers of V-5%Cr-5%Ti by exposing the alloy to liquid Li that contained 0.5-85 wt% dissolved Ca was measured as a function of time at temperatures between 250 and 600{degrees}C. Crack-free Be{sub 2}V intermetallic coatings were also produced by exposing V-alloys to liquid Li that contained Be as a solute. These techniques can be applied to various shapes (e.g., inside/outside of tubes, complex geometrical shapes) because the coatings are formed by liquid-phase reactions.

This document concerns the award of two blanket purchase contracts for the supply and maintenance of light vehicles. One contract is for vehicles (category A) to be used for transport of personnel around the CERN sites, with a minimum space for light equipment, and the second contract for vehicles (category B) with sufficient space for larger tools and equipment. Since all cars used by CERN have to meet Swiss standards, a call for tenders (IT-3004/ST) was sent on 1 June 2001 to 13 Swiss importers of European cars. By the closing date, CERN had received seven tenders from seven firms with manufacturing facilities in four Member States for category A vehicles, and six tenders from six firms with manufacturing facilities in four Member States for category B vehicles. For category A vehicles, the Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a contract with FIAT SUISSE (CH), the lowest bidder, for the supply of light vehicles (category A) over a period of three years, with a guaranteed 36-month main...

Wheat straw is a major potential source of waste biomass for renewable energy production, but its high salt content causes problems in combustion. The salts can be removed by washing, but this process also removes a proportion of the organic material which could potentially be recovered by anaerobic digestion of the washwater leachate. This approach would maximise the overall energy yield in an integrated process in which washwater could be recycled after further desalting. Leachate from cold water washing with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 1.2 g l⁻¹ was fed to mesophilic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) digesters at a loading rate of 1 g COD l⁻¹ day⁻¹ to determine the energy yield and any detrimental effects of the leached salts on the process. The specific methane production was 0.29 l CH₄ g⁻¹ COD(added), corresponding to a COD removal rate of 84%. Light metal cations in the leachate, especially potassium, were found to accumulate in the digesters and appeared to have a synergistic effect up to a concentration of ∼6.5 mg K g⁻¹ wet weight of the granular sludge, but further accumulation caused inhibition of methanogenesis. It was shown that gas production in the inhibited digesters could be restored within 12 days by switching the feed to a synthetic sewage, which washed the accumulated K out of the digesters.

A two-stage pilot-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket - anaerobic filter (UASB-AF) reactors system treating concentrated domestic sewage was operated at 23 degrees C and at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 15 and 4 h, respectively. Excess sludge from the downstream AF stage was returned to the upstream UASB reactor. The aim was to obtain higher sludge retention time (SRT) in the UASB reactor for better methanization of suspended COD. The UASB-AF system removed 55% and 65% of the total COD (COD(tot)) and suspended COD (COD(ss)), respectively. The calculated SRT in the UASB reactor ranged from 20-35 days. The AF reactor removed the washed out sludge from the first stage reactor with average COD(ss) removal efficiency of 55%. The volatile fatty acids concentration in the effluent of the AF was 39 mg COD/L compared with 78 mg COD/L measured for the influent. The slightly higher COD(tot) removal efficiency obtained in this study compared with a single stage UASB reactor was achieved at 17% reduction in the total volume.

Highlights: • A simulation tool was developed to analyse, optimise and scale up VST set-ups. • This tool predicts that efficiencies higher than 90% can be reached. • Upscaling to DEMO breeding blanket flow rates results in feasibly sized designs. - Abstract: Tritium self-sufficiency within a nuclear fusion reactor is necessary to demonstrate nuclear fusion as a viable source of energy. Tritium can be produced within liquid eutectic PbLi but then has to be extracted to be refuelled to the plasma. The vacuum sieve tray (VST) method is based on the extraction of tritium from millimetre-scaled oscillating PbLi droplets falling inside a vacuum chamber. A simulation tool was developed describing the fluid dynamics occurring along the PbLi flow and was used to study the influence of the different geometrical and operational parameters on the VST performance. The simulation predicts that extraction efficiencies over 90% can be easily reached according to theory and previous experimental results. The size of the VST extraction unit for a fusion reactor is estimated based on the findings from our single-nozzle model and assuming no T reabsorption. It is found to be in the feasible range. Nevertheless, two approaches are discussed which may further reduce this size by up to 90%. The simulation tool proved to be an easy and powerful way to analyse and optimise VST set-ups at any scale.